Dancing in the Dark
by FireStorm00X
Summary: SLASH HPDM. On Hiatus 'Why is it that everywhere I go there’s a pair of guys snogging' 'I don’t know, Pans, maybe you should stop going to places where guys make out,' Blaise offered, smirking. Warnings: rape, some fluff, some angst, evil hermione.
1. Don't wake me up!

Hey, I edited and re-uploaded this chapter, hope you like it this time. I changed things, got some reviews that pointed things out. I'm going to be going through the whole story and doing this (editing and combining chapters) so, in the next few weeks the story is going to start looking different but no worries, same old story…revamped a little.

By the way, I had a great time on vacation, it was super cool and awesome. Sorry I couldn't update while in Oregon. But! If you review this or Chapter 32 (which I've also added) I'll give you a limited edition holographic trading card of Harry and Draco making out that is all-new because they are without shirts! YAY!

Thanks a butt-load.

Love-Firestorm00X

A loud knock woke Draco Malfoy from his nap, he rolled over on his bed and sat up. Here in the Villa very few people visited, Draco was spending the summer there, out of Britain and away from Narcissa and Lucius. In Greece he was supposed to be safe. Malfoy stood and ran a hand through his long white hair, he loved his hair and only used custom formulated shampoos and conditioners and styling products. Generic brands rarely worked as well. The blonde walked over to his wardrobe and opened the door, the room was huge, it was organised alphabetically by designer. A large, circular island in the centre with drawers for undergarments and ties and school robes also folded out into a full sized mirror.

Malfoy frowned and began to decide what to wear. Sometimes being gorgeous was damnably hard. He finally settled on some khaki pants and a blue polo shirt, the blonde turned and began to rummage around for a necklace to wear. He found a small pale blue diamond on a silver chain and put it on, he pulled out a silver charm bracelet and a silver ring. Malfoy pulled on a pair of tan boots and placed a pair of sunglasses on top of his head before leaving his room. At the door stood a tall, brown haired man in a formal black suit and polished black shoes.

"I'm here to speak with Mr. Draconis Malfoy about his father's involvement with the Death Eaters."

"I shall see if my Master is available," One of the human servants, Malfoy didn't know her name nor did he care to, said and turned to lead the man into one of the many sitting rooms.

Malfoy rolled his eyes and began down the stairs. He entered the sitting room just as the servant was serving the man a glass of cold ice water. The servant squeaked and turned away immediately, it was the Armenian servant.

"Normally I don't allow visitors here, sir," Draco said, looking at the man down his pointed nose.

"Thank-you for the honour Mister Malfoy. My name is Bustront, Marvin Bustront and I was hoping you'd help us answer a few questions about your parents and the Dark Lord."

"Why would I help you?"

"Out of the kindness of your heart I presume."

Draco nearly laughed at the thought, as he was, no kind thought had graced his heart since he was five. He seated himself in the high backed chair before the dead fire and pressed the tips of his fingers together. "I can tell you what little I know on the subject."

"Ahem, now, you left England shortly after you returned from your fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is that right?" Bustront asked, looking through some of the papers he'd brought with him.

"Yes it is. I left due to the dangerous nature of my father, he was and is unstable. I came to Greece and plan on remaining here until August 30th when I shall be leaving to stay at the White Dragon in Diagon Alley until September the 1st when I shall return to Hogwarts."

"I see, during your Fifth Year did your father send you any information regarding the Death Eater's activities?" Bustront asked, he raised his eyebrows as though suggesting something.

"No he did not. The only mail I ever received from home in the duration of my Fifth year was a single letter concerning the death of my third uncle Sir Duran Hornsblende."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

"Good, did you know your father was a Death Eater?"

"Yes, I did. Really, how could I now? He trained me in the Dark Arts and initiated me with the ways of the Death Eaters. He planned on having me fully initiated on December 31st of my seventh year."

"Did you have any idea about the attacks that occurred over the time Mr. Harry Potter and you attended Hogwarts. More specifically the attacks on Mr. Harry Potter himself?" Bustront asked quickly, becoming more interested by the moment.

"In fourth year I knew they planned for something to happen at the Triwzard's Tournament, I also knew as to the opening of the Chamber in Second Year and that Quirrel was half the Dark Lord in First Year. This last year I knew nothing of the planned attack at the Ministry Headquarters, only following the attack was I informed by mother in a letter she left for me."

"I would like to know if you're willing to come with me back to the Ministry Headquarters to continue testing under Vertiserum."

"No sir, I am not willing."

"Mr. Malfoy I will have to insist you come back to England with me," Bustront drew his wand and point it straight at the blonde.

"Then I, sir, will have to insist you remove yourself from my home immediately," Malfoy stood and glared at the man. Draco moved to draw his own wand.

"I have permission to use any means necessary to return you to England and place you under Vertiserum."

"I don't happen to care sir, remove yourself this instant."

"_Stupefy,_" Bustront yelled and a jet of red light flew out. Malfoy flung himself behind the couch and cursed under his breath as Bustront threw a destruction spell at the couch.

Malfoy turned around and began to back away, for once in his life he was truly afraid, pieces of the couch rained down around him and Bustront approached quickly.

"_Crucio,"_ Pain ripped through him and tore like heated knives at every inch of his being. Malfoy was sure if he screamed or not. It wasn't until the spell was lifted and he felt his throat was raw.

"Now will you come?"

Malfoy didn't answer for a long moment, then he shook his head. Bustront turned an ugly red and marched closer, he bent down, grabbing Draco's face and forcing their eyes to meet.

"You will do as I say, boy," Bustront shoved him back, Draco gasped as he landed on a sharp metal spring. Bustront raised his wand but his arm was shoved aside by one of the elves.

"You is not hurting Master," the thing shrieked, standing defensively before its master.

"Stupid creature," Bustront nearly screamed and pointed his wand at the elf. "_Adevra Kedevra!" _A flash of green and all that remained was the body. Draco tried to crawl away from the dead thing, but the wizard before him magicked it to the doorway, a warning for any other servant bold enough to interfere. Draco could see them, some of the human servants standing, horrified in the hall. Bitingly he thought of what to do to them when he returned.

"Now, let us see if you really are the Sex-God you're rumoured to be," Bustront grabbed the blonde by his neck and pressed him against the wall, face crushed against the rich green and gold paper. Draco's eyes widened as the meaning of the disgusting man's comment sunk in.

"Wh-" his words were lost in a scream as Bustront tore into him. He cried and screamed and tried his hardest to get away but was overpowered still. He felt blood run into his eyes, he must have gotten cut on the forehead and not realized. The cut was deep and he slowly sank into blackness, unable and unwilling to hold on any further.

The blonde awoke soar, bloody and covered in dirt. He was on the floor of a musty cell in the Ministry Headquarters wearing nothing but a torn up pair of khaki pants. Deep cuts on chest were scabbing over and every muscle in his body was in pain, the blonde tried to move but couldn't muster the strength. Across from him, a grimy old man chuckled from the back of his cell.

"They did quite a number on you little boy."

"What are you talking about?"

"What happened to you when you were brought in here. Bustront is a sick man," the old man sounded so disgusted when he said that name.

Draco remembered it, that name.

He was silent, the memories came back, the pain, the humiliation, the fear, all of it. He let out a strangled cry and put a hand to his face, he felt the cut on his forehead, it was scabbing. Draco felt like he was going to cry, he couldn't let some stranger see such a pitiful thing. So, not knowing what else to do, Draco pushed himself into the dark corner and fit himself between the back of the cot and the wall, the darkest, smallest place he could find. He tried desperately to muffle his crying.

The man had seen horrible things, he dead friends, men go crazy in Azkaban but this was a truly heart-breaking sight. The boy was gorgeous, but so bloodied and so broken his good looks meant nothing. The man reached out through the bars, as if trying to comfort the boy across from him, but he was held back.

_Filthy. Sick. Spoiled creature. Draco, how can you stand to be seen? After this, Lucius will disown you, Narcissa will forget you. Pansy and Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle, they'll all look at you the way you've looked at muggles all these years. You're the dirty one now. Sick…beast. Better off dead now._ Draco thought these horrible things to himself and looked at his hands, they were dusted with dirt and blood.

Far away voices echoed down the dungeon corridor, the grimy man disappeared into the shadows of his cell again as the voices grew closer. Malfoy picked out Bustront's voice and also the voices of some of those who's come earlier. The men appeared in front of Malfoy's cell and pulled open the door, they all walked in and with them was several other men.

"You say you got him?" one man asked, craning his neck to try and see.

"Yes I did," Bustront chuckled cruelly, "he was a fine take. Tomorrow, he'll still be here I'm sure, if you get me the right things I can see to it that you can _take_ him yourselves."

The men all looked at him with smiles on their faces. Draco felt his stomach churn, sickened.

"How much?" One man asked.

"As much as you can give," Marvin rubbed his fingers together, the cash sign.

"Three-hundred?" one offered.

Three Hundred Galleons? That was a lot of money to pay for sex. Draco knew this even, prostitutes in Diagon worked for about ten. Bustront knew this as well, and smiled approvingly.

"Three-hundred it is then, if you want a part of him," Bustront waved his hand in Draco's direction.

_You've been sold to men. To sick bastards who are supposed to keep England safe. Is this how our taxes are spent?-to pay these disgusting creatures? _Draco nearly screamed at them. He stopped as he saw Bustront wave them all away and then step into the cell. The man conjured up clothing and threw them at the blonde.

"Put those on, you're going for questioning in ten minutes,"

Malfoy dressed quickly and followed Bustront slowly out of the dungeons. Up into a lift and then down a long hall and into a room with a long row of chairs raised up high behind a table. A single chair on the ground with a small steel table in front of it. Bustront motioned Malfoy to sit and he did. Fudge, the Minister of Magic, Percy Weasley, his assistant, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, Kingsley Shackelbolt, some woman with bright blue hair and a bunch of other people.

Snape appeared and handed Bustront a bottle of clear liquid, the man took it and held out the dropper for the blonde, who stuck out his tongue and received three drops. Bustront backed away and Fudge leaned forward

"Percy, take notes."

"Yes sir" The red-head nodded eagerly and began to scribble away.

"What is you full, given name?"

"Draconis Alexander Crucis Malfoy the second."

"Who are your parents?"

"Lucius Veritas Exavier Malfoy and Narcissa Jasmine Sinistra Black-Malfoy."

"What year are you and what school do you attend?"

"I am going into the sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"How old are you and when is your birthday?"

"I am fifteen and my birthday is the 23rd of November."

"Fudge, why are you asking questions we already know?"

"Formalities Kingsley. Now, Mr. Malfoy, are you a Death Eater?"

"No."

"Were you to become a Death Eater?"

"Yes, on the 31st of December in my seventh year."

"Do you know where your mother is now?"

"No."

"Do you know where your father is now?"

"No."

"He's lying! He must know where Lucius is!" One of the men sitting around the table yelled out.

"Silence Moody. Now son, you must have some clue as to where Lucius is."

"I do not know."

"More Vertiserum" Fudge commanded, Bustront gave the boy more "Where. Is. Lucius. Malfoy?"

"I do not know."

"Where is Lucius Malfoy?" Fudge screamed, as his face turned an ugly purple color.

"I do not know."

"Where is the Dark Lord?" Dumbledore asked from his seat, his blue eyes glittered.

"Ireland, the former Delciras Manor near Dublin."

"How do you know?"

"Lucius wrote letters to me during the school year telling me where the Dark Lord was."

"Did you know that the Death Eaters were going to attack the Ministry and try to lure Harry Potter there?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you go to School Officials or the Ministry?"

"I was afraid of what would happen to me."

"Why do you fear Lucius?"

"He is my father, I was always taught to fear him."

"Why did you never tell anyone else about it?"

"I was afraid of Lucius."

"Are any of the other Slytherin's who currently attend Hogwarts in or going to be in the Death Eaters?"

"All are expected to join in seventh year when the Great Attack is planned. All speak of refusing the Dark Mark, we do not want to join."

"Why?"

"We do not trust the Dark Lord to keep us safe, we have learned to rely on ourselves to be safe. Our parents hurt us because they were Death Eaters, we do not want to hurt ourselves and each other."

"Would you all be willing to join the Aurors and fight Voldemort?" Many people gasped when Dumbledore said his name.

"No."

"Why?" The old man asked with a frown.

"We do not trust the Ministry to keep us safe. They could not keep themselves safe or their Savior, how will they save us?"

"Are you their leader?"

"We have no leader, we have ourselves and each other and we agree on many things, but we have no leader."

"Will you be willing to help the Aurors if not join them completely?"

"Yes."

"Let the boy leave Fudge, we have all we need."

"Where is -"

"Give it a rest Cornelius, the boy doesn't know where his father is"

Bustront moved to take Malfoy back when Snape pushed past him and gently led his godson away. Bustront glared after them and turned to leave when Dumbledore called him back "Marvin, can we have a word with you?"

"Yes sir?"

"Please, sit," The old man motioned to the chair and table where the bottle of Vertiserum still sat. Bustront sat down carefully. His brow furrowed as the woman with bright blue hair came forward and told him to stick out his tongue.


	2. Get happy: move to the Burrow!

_This is Re-edited and the original 3rd /4th /5th Chapters combined. Now just Chapter 2. Hehe, it's kind of big. Sorry?_

_I don't own Harry Potter._

_The end._

Snape walked along side his godson, back down to the dungeons and to the cell they had taken Malfoy from. Snape stopped and looked at the cell curiously, the elder man seemed unhappy at the living conditions. The black haired man in the cell across from there stepped into the light and stared at them with wide eyes.

"Severus, must I stay here?" Malfoy asked the Potion's Master.

"I wish I could make you more comfortable Draco, but I'm already on thin ice with the Minister and his precious pet Percy will not hear a word I say on your behalf. I am sorry Draco," Snape pursed his lips at the boy in a sort of smile.

"I understand godfather," Draco didn't want to really touch anyone, but it was necessary to his plan. So he hugged the potion's master, not an unheard of thing.

"I'll see you in a few hours Draco," Snape ruffled his hair and closed him back into the cell.

"Yes uncle," Draco gave him a sort of smile and the man left.

"How did it go?"

"I told them what I know and that's all."

"It's a bit difficult to tell them things you don't know 'eh?"

"Aye. How long have you been in here?"

"Since June, when they caught me."

"Want out?" Draco asked,

"Who doesn't?"

Malfoy shrugged and removed a wand from the sleeve of his shirt, the man across looked stunned for a long moment and then frowned "How did you get that?"

"Severus rarely uses his but always keeps it on him. I was always a very successful pick-pocket."

"You are one strange kid, but I like you more than I would expect to."

"Thank-you" The blonde point the wand at the cell door and it sprung open, he walked over and tapped the other man's door and it opened as well.

"Thanks kid, I need to go visit someone who misses me."

"Wait, you can't go that way," Malfoy grabbed the man's arm and pulled him back, he had been heading towards the main exit.

"There's no other way out." the man said, looking in either direction.

"Yes, there is. Dungeons have to have very good ventilation systems otherwise the smell of dead prisoner's would cause trouble. This is structured like the ones at Hogwarts, follow me," Malfoy turned in the opposite direction and jogged down the hall.

They raced down the corridor and reached a four way intersection, Malfoy walked into the centre and looked straight up. He pointed the wand at a set of six blocks. They disappeared and a grate appeared. The man laughed and walked into the centre too, he looked up and smiled. Malfoy levitated them up and he slipped through two of the bars, then pulled it open from the other side and helped the other man through. They levitated out and found themselves in an abandoned alley in Muggle London.

"Thanks, kid."

"Hey, who are you?"

"Black, Sirius Black."

Malfoy nodded and scaled the wall at the back of the alley, he apperated away, leaving Black in the alley. The man grinned and apperated to Privet Drive where his godson sat sulking in his bedroom.

* * *

It was blistering hot summer day in Surrey and Harry lay on his bed in just a pair of Dudley's old shorts, his eyes were closed and he was concentrating very hard on Winter at Hogwarts. It didn't really work.

"POTTER! GET UP! WE'RE LEAVING FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTRE POOL, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING" Vernon yelled from downstairs, the door slammed and Harry was alone.

He glowered and sat up for the heat was too much, so he padded out his room and went to the freezer and pulled it open. Everything was melted, and the cold was gone, Dudley must have been trying to cool off. Harry rolled his eyes and walked onto the brown and dead lawn.

A loud crack sounds alerted him to someone apperating near-by, Harry flung himself behind some bushes and watched as a dirty, sallow skin and sunken eyes and long, matted black hair. He stumbled forward and walked up towards the house.

"Sirius?" Harry stepped out from behind the bushes.

"Harry!"

They hugged each other for a long time, Harry knew one neighbor or another was looking but he didn't care "I thought you were dead, Remus said you were, everyone said you were dead."

"I was, I think, I don't know. I fell through the curtain and the next thing I knew I was in a cell in the dungeons of the Ministry."

"How did you escape."

"Some kid."

"Some kid?"

"Yeah, Snape's godson…" Sirius searched his brain, he'd known that fact once upon a time. "Ah well, doesn't matter, his name was like Draco?"

"Draco Malfoy?"

"…now that you mention it, he did look an awful lot like Narcissa and Lucius, maybe that was him."

"I can't believe he helped you escape," Harry was stunned and the things he'd thought of the boy now somehow felt very wrong.

"Yeah, he's smart, got himself in a mess with the Ministry though."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure what happened really," Sirius admitted, "but no matter, I'm glad to see you again Harry."

"I'm so glad you're alive Sirius," Harry hugged his godfather again.

"Let's go inside 'eh?" Sirius motioned to the door and they went inside. Harry noticed Sirius seemed lost in thought as they sat down and Harry got them both some water.

"What's wrong Sirius?"

"It's that Malfoy kid, they did some terrible stuff to him and I don't know how he held up. He's just, I don't know, different from Lucius. Draco looks a bit like his father, but they're so different, it's strange."

"Malfoy looks exactly like his father."

"Most people say so, but no, I don't think so, Draco looks too much like Narcissa, that sort of evil angelic structure to his face that got Narcissa everything over her sisters. His eyes are gray and to the best of my knowledge no one in the Malfoy or Black line has that. But he must have gotten it from somewhere. He's rare, and I don't think he knows it."

"A rare pain in the ass. Malfoy's a complete egotistical git, nothing more."

"Maybe, he just didn't act like a git when I saw him, though maybe it wasn't under normal circumstances."

Sirius looked over at Harry and grinned, then he stood and walked over to the window, he looked out to see the Dursley's car pulling into the driveway. Sirius frowned and watched as they walked towards the front door and flung it open. Vernon looked terribly angry.

"How do they get off telling us we can't go in, that's it's too full for us! An outrage, bloody outrage."

"I agr-" Petunia stopped dead when she saw Sirius Black, a dirty, filthy, hairy man standing in the middle of her impeccably clean living room. She screamed and fainted into Vernon's arms.

"What is going on boy?"

"This is my godfather, Sirius Black," Harry said with a smile.

The Dursley's backed away quickly and looked between the two in fear. Two Wizards. Dudley squealed and floundered upstairs to his room, Vernon tried to drag Petunia away and into the Kitchen with little progress.

"Come on Harry, let's go."  
Sirius patted Harry on the back and walked with him upstairs, they flung everything into his trunk and grabbed Harry's broom. They walked back downstairs and waved to Petunia and Vernon, Sirius apperated them into the middle of the park across from Number Twelve. No one was out and so they quickly walked across and into the house before anyone saw them.

Remus was sitting in one of the chairs with his head in his hands and Molly Weasley patting his back helpfully. Arthur walked out of the kitchen just as Harry and Sirius burst in. Ron and Hermione were sitting on a couch next to Ginny, each was nibbling on a scone and sipping tea from cracked cups.

"SIRIUS! HARRY!" Molly sprang away in surprise, Remus stood up and ran to Sirius, they hugged each other for a long time, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Harry!" Hermione ran over and gave him a bone-crushing hug, Ron and Ginny raced over as well. The moment Remus let his friend go Molly was hugging him and Harry at the same time, both were turning blue.

"How did you survive?"

"I don't know, but I fell through and the next thing I know I'm in a cell in the dungeons of the Ministry." Sirius seemed to be uncomfortable with his explanation.

"How did you escape?" Remus asked, looking over his friend.

"Draco Malfoy was thrown into the cell across from me, he helped me get out."

"Malfoy!" Everyone but Harry looked at him as if he was insane.

"I know you all hate him, but he saved me, he didn't even know who I was and he got me out."

"Malfoy though? The git got thrown in a dungeon cell?"

"They needed to question him for the whereabouts of the Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy. They brought him from Greece where he was staying, I think that's what Bustront said anyway."

"Marvin Bustront?" Arthur frowned.

"Yeah, and apparently he was given authority for any means necessary. The kid looked beat up by the time he got to the cells."

"Malfoy deserves it," Ron said angrily, Hermione slapped him hard upside his head.

"He saved Sirius, he can't be all bad."

There was a loud cracking outside and several shouts of surprise, everyone ran to the window and saw Tonks running towards them, Dumbledore on her heels and Snape just behind him, Snape looked infuriated. Sirius ran quickly upstairs.

"Something's happened, Sirius is alive, he escaped, he-he took Draco Malfoy with him. Something like that-"

"That man hit my godson!" Snape stormed in, he whirled around and glared at Dumbledore.

"I know Severus, but- oh, hello Harry."

"Hello Professor."

"Sirius is here," Arthur said excitedly, he pointed and Sirius came back downstairs with a small grin on his face.

"We're here congratulating Black while Bustront is free and probably looking for my godson right now to get his grimy little paws on him!" Snape yelled, he pounded the wall with his fist.

"Severus, there is no way anyone can find Draco, he's got a thousand different residences he could go to, no one will find him unless he lets them. You're godson is very resourceful and shall be fine."

"He was beaten! He was raped, and Bustront was planning on selling him to men for a few hundred galleons! Do something dammit!"

"Draco will not let himself be found," Dumbledore said, placing a hand on Snape's shoulder, the man shrugged it off.

"You," Snape paused, searching for the worst thing he could say, "oh you bastard. Draco didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve any of this. You don't even care do you, podgy old arse. "he'll be fine." Would you be fine Albus? If you were sixteen and violently taken from your own home? If you were raised by that heartless, unhuman Death Eater Lucius? Would you?" Snape was screaming he was pissed and Harry could nearly feel the anger radiating.

"Severus!" Dumbledore barked, "sit down or I'll be forced to-"

"Don't even bother Albus," Snape cut him off. Snape sat down in one of the chairs and shot everyone a cold glare. Harry moved away and looked up at Dumbledore. There was a small knock and the door opened, Kingsley walked in and sighed loudly.

"Bustront was arrested on charges of child pornography, underage prostitution and rape. Just thought you'd like to know Severus, and Lucius Malfoy has been found and arrested. All of the families resources were turned over to Draco, who went to the French Ministry and was awarded the right to remain there until the end of August when he'll move to the White Dragon and then to Hogwarts."

"Is he okay?" Snape stood and asked, when no answered he tried to leave but Albus shook his head.

"Stay here Severus, we'll ask Mr. Malfoy to come here for a few hours so you can talk to him. He won't know where he is."

"We have to help him," Snape growled but sat back down, Albus walked over to the fire place and called up the French Minister's head.

"Bonjuor? Oh, 'ello Alboose."

"Hello Jaque, can you please send us Mr. Draco Malfoy?"

"Oh, Oui! 'E est right 'ere. I sall svend 'im immediately."

"Thank-you."

The Minister's head disappeared and a moment later Draco Malfoy was standing there brushing dust from his clothes. Black trousers, a white shirts and a black jacket.

Silence greeted him.

Snape was looking at him with a sad expression.

"Hello Uncle," Draco gave him a small smile, turned away from the Gryffindor trio.

"Draco, a-are you okay?" Snape was standing, he reached out to put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I will be," Draco assured him, it was hollow though. His inner monologue went something like _Please, don't touch me, gods, don't touch me. How can you bare to look at me now Uncle? I'm sick, sordid and…I'm hideous. Let me leave, all I want is to disappear from view. How can they bare to look at me? Gods, why didn't I just rot in that cell?_

"Hello Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore drew his glare away from Snape.

"What do you want Professor?"

"Severus wants to speak to you, and I would like to know what happened to you."

"Here's your wand back Severus" Malfoy handed it over to the confused and slightly upset Potion's Master "I stole it earlier."

"Obviously," Snape took it, slightly confused and placed it back in his robes, Malfoy looked around slowly and then at the four Weasleys, Tonks, Kingsley, Hermione, and Harry. He looked up at Sirius and nodded towards him by way of greeting.

"Hey kid," Sirius waved.

"Don't everyone rush to greet me at once now," Malfoy said, trying to break the odd silence, then he turned to Dumbledore "You needed me?"

"Yes, please sit."

"I'm fine." He decided against sitting.

Dumbledore nodded and took a seat himself, everyone slowly sat down too, watching the blonde intently. Sirius even came downstairs and leaned against a wall to listen.

"Tell us about what happened to you, before you arrived at the Ministry of Magic. The entire story please."

"I was staying in Greece, I own a Villa there and decided to get out of Britain during the raids. Bustront came over and asked me a few questions, just simple things like whether or not I knew about anything that happened to Potter. If I had contact with Lucius this year, nothing that great. He asked me to go back to the Ministry for further questioning, I refused. It was in my best interest to stay in Greece for the summer, he said he had been permitted to use any means necessary and used some spell, I don't remember which one. I was thrown in a corner and knocked unconscious, I don't remember anything between that and waking up later in cell."

"Really?"

"Yes." Draco insisted

"Can we talk Draco?" Severus asked, almost begging.

"I, I think maybe a little later this week. Really, I just want to go back to France, Fluer's making her famous stew and I'm rather hungry. I will talk to you later Uncle, I promise," Draco said, he tried to sound like his old self, but he was fairly certain the boy who'd existed just a few hours ago was long gone.

"Then we'll talk later this week," Snape nodded.

"Thank-you," Draco nodded in return. "It was nice to see you again cousin," he nodded to Sirius too.

"Yeah, you too kid." Sirius waved back and smiled. Draco stepped into the green flames and disappeared.

"Harry, I think you and the Weasley's and Ms. Granger should all go to the Burrow, it is unsafe here."

"But-"

"No Harry," Dumbledore led him to the fire place and flooed the trunk there. Molly and Arthur left then Ginny and Harry and last went Ron and Hermione. At the Burrow Arthur carried the trunk up to Ron's room and Molly rushed into the kitchen to make some food for them. The four teenagers sat down and looked at each other for a long time.

"Let's think about what courses we're taking, the applications for electives are coming soon." Hermione attempted to start a conversation.

"Diviniation," Harry and Ron said at once.

"You complain about that course every time you take it and yet you continue with it. I think you should take-"

"No," Both boys stopped her.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue when the fireplace crackled loudly and Malfoy appeared, he was covered in soot and looked upset.

"Why in the name of Zeus was I just pushed through another fire?" he looked around and his eyes landed on the trio. "I-"

"What are you doing in my house Malfoy?"

"Good lords, Weasel? I'm in the Burrow? I'm in England? Really, I didn't, I don't know why I'm here," Malfoy looked around for the exit but Arthur appeared in front of it.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy, Dumbledore just informed us you'd be staying here for a few weeks. He doesn't want you out in France to cause trouble."

"I am not staying England," Malfoy shook his head, sending strands of white blonde hair flying into his face, they hung down just past his jaw.

"Yes boy, you are, under Albus' orders and the orders of the Ministry of Magic," Arthur walked forward and set down a tray of tea and scones for everyone.

"I really don't think there's room-"

"You can have Charlie's old room, he won't be home this summer," Molly said as she bustled in with a tray of jam and the tea pot.

"I don't have any clothes-" just as Malfoy said it three large trunks appeared around the fireplace, each one made of rare black leather with silver clasps and the Slytherin crest on the lids.

The Weasley's all looked at them for a long time before smiling at the blonde. He knelt and opened one, it was full of books, Hermione jumped up and tried to look into it.

Draco looked at his things, glancing really to make sure things were there. "You can look I suppose."

She picked up one book and gasped "A first edition, self-editing copy of Hogwarts, A History!"

"Yup, the one written by the Founders is in the old house," Malfoy nodded towards it, then began to rummage through another trunk full of clothes.

"Oh my god!" Hermione looked at another book "Snape's authored books!"

"They're essays, Potions and Dark Magic essays, he's one of the world's foremost experts in those fields. Those are originals too," Malfoy said, he found turned a framed picture upside down and then moved on through the trunk.

"Wow, how do you get a hold of these?" Hermione motioned to the other books in the trunk.

"Usually by buying them, or the authors send them by owl. We know most of the wizards who would have any need to write an important book."

"Amazing."

Malfoy finally found what he was looking for; a bag of money, it looked very full. He opened it and pulled out a few Galleons and then threw it back into the trunk. He shoved the money into the pocket of his jacket and stood up, knocking the lid shut, it clicked and the snake of the Slytherin crest hissed loudly.

"Am I staying down here? Or do I have a room?"

"Right this way, I really think we ought call you by your given name instead, it'd be awkward to-"

"I don't care anymore." Malfoy turned and levitated the trunks, Hermione pouted when the books disappeared up the stairs behind Malfoy.

"He's a strange kid, three trunks?"

"They're bottomless too, it must be for organization. His school books weren't in there either," Hermione said. They heard a shriek from upstairs

* * *

Like I've said, I'm re doing these earlier chapters while still adding to the end. So the # of chapters may be diminishing. Only because I'm combining chapters. Don't worry, things aren't all that different. I am changing Draco's character, that's the big things, he just seems so abnormal in the original (he's a jerk-bag who doesn't seem effected by his ordeal at all) I apologize for that horrible character flaw the first time around.

I hope everyone likes this new version of things.

Thanks for being kind- Firestorm00X


	3. a death eater and Flaming Skull

_NEW version of Chapter 3. YAY! I'm trying to get all this fixing up done quickly to keep confusion down._

* * *

They heard a shriek from upstairs and everyone rushed up to find Malfoy face to face with Pig, the thing was just staring at him, not going crazy. Ron frowned and walked forward, Pig hooted softly and landing on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Who shrieked?" Arthur panted.

"Mrs. Weasley, she was afraid the mini-owl would kill me," Malfoy said. With a slow, almost shaking hand he opened the door to Charlie's room and looked around for a long moment.

"Would you mind if I redecorated?" Malfoy asked, trying very hard to be polite and not release a scream he'd been holding in since he arrived.

"Oh, not at all," Mrs. Weasely motioned, allowing him.

"Thank-you ma'am," he bowed his head to her and stepped further into the room he drew his wand and began transfiguring the existing furniture into black oak pieces of high quality. Soon the room looked fit for a Malfoy. He pulled a trunk in and began setting books on shelves and unloading smaller trunks containing different items.

"Pig's calm, how'd you do it?" Ron asked.

"Couldn't tell you, he's cute though," Malfoy said, nodding to the owl which bit Ron at that instant.

"OW!"

The owl sped to Malfoy and perched in his shoulder. Ginny giggled from where she stood. "He likes you Malfoy."

Draco petted its head with his index finger, "yes, I suppose he does."

"We're going back down for some food, you can join us when you want," Molly said, she then shooed everyone back downstairs.

A few moments later Malfoy seated himself on a couch and looked up at Molly "Since I'm living in England, what are we going to do?"

"We-um, we thought you'd like to stay here for today. Perhaps we can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow."

"I've never been in this part of England, what sort of events are there?" Malfoy peered out the window at the expanses of empty land.

"There aren't many, but you boys can play Quidditch I'm sure, we have some hoops over there," Arthur pointed towards some rickety hoops a few hundred meters away.

"I have a Snitch, but it's signed by a bunch of players so we couldn't use that, I may have a spare though," Malfoy said, sipping from the teacup Molly set before him.

"Who is it signed by?" Ginny asked, turning to the blonde sitting next to her.

"The Bulgarian team, the Irish team from the 1994 World Cup, Igor Lustiflor, Marque Zepua, and Ludo Bagman."

"Igor Lustiflor and Marque Zepua! Two of the world's greatest seekers! How?"

"After the World Cup they came over to the Manor for the annual Cup Party, they signed along with the two competing teams. Ludo got his name on there too but don't ask me how. Marque usually comes over to the Manor for Christmas and Igor stays over for Easter."

Ron nearly fainted and Harry laughed as Malfoy refrained from looking at anyone, staring at his tea leaves. Ginny smiled and stood up to help her mother in the kitchen. Hermione shifted her place on the floor with her back against the sofa near Ron's legs. Malfoy glanced up and looked from Hermione to Ron to Harry, raised his white eyebrows and continued with his tea leaves.

"I have a snitch, let's play," Harry said, he disappeared upstairs and returned with his Firebolt and Ron's broom. Ginny raced upstairs and grabbed one for herself.

"I'll have to change."

"Why?"

"You really expect me to play Quidditch in this? I'll only be a moment," Malfoy disappeared and came back down in a pair of dragon-hide pants and a green sweater and a pair of Quidditch boots, he pulled on some finger-less black gloves and smirked as Ron admired his new Firebolt X10 racing broom.

"I didn't know they came out with a new Firebolt."

"Neither did I, but apparently the manufacturers like me so they sent one free, I don't know, supposed to be released over Christmas they said."

"Wow, you are so lucky."

"I guess," Draco nodded. He hated the spoilt image he'd gotten over the years. He hated even more that it was fairly accurate. They reached the hoops and all rose into the air, Harry let the snitch go, Ron threw the Quaffle to Ginny who hit it back at him.

Malfoy looked around and saw Harry diving for the snitch, he didn't care though, forsomething was approached on the Southern horizon. Malfoy lowered towards the ground and watched it grow closer. He had a sinking feeling and he'd learnt long ago to trust his instincts about forthcoming things.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Ron called from the air.

"Something's coming," Malfoy pointed to the dot. Ron, Ginny and Harry all landed and watched it approach, it was huge, as large as a dragon at least.

"Everyone inside, it's a Death Eater," Molly yelled out at them, they all sprinted back to the house, brooms in hand.

They hurtled inside just as the huge white dragon landed where they were a few moments before. Thick black chains encircled the beast's neck and came to the hands of a tall man with long red hair. He climbed down and walked towards the house, he wore thick black pants and heavy black robes over that. He was a fearful sight evicting the very image of evil. Who was he?

He turned slowly around, looking at the landscape before taking a breath and striding, rather timidly, towards the Burrow.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, it is Adrian, I-I need to talk you, I-I'm sorry I disappeared but I'm back now I-" He called through the door.

Mrs. Weasley flung open the door and threw her arms around the man and hugged him close. She cried into his shoulder and began to say things no one could understand.

"Mum, it's fine, I-I'm okay."

"Adrian?" Arthur rushed forward and hugged him too. Ginny and Ron looked at him strangely. He had bright blue eyes and skin too tan to tell if there were freckles.

"Where were you? I was so scared! You didn't write for years! I-I was afraid you'd been killed!"

"I was in Ethiopia Mum, well for this last part anyway. After I left Hogwarts I- it doesn't matter, I'm back."

"Why! Why? Why did you run away!"

"I don't know," Adrian hugged his mother and shook his head slowly.

"Come in, we gave Ron your room but I'm sure we can make room for you," Molly ushered him in and sat him down in one of the chairs, he looked around and then at the clock with the faces of the Weasely family.

"Where's my face?" He asked casually.

"It almost always said you were in _Mortal Peril_ and Molly would have a heart attack every time she saw it so we removed it. Here," Arthur pointed at the clock and another face and hand appeared, it ground away from Mortal Peril to home.

"Who are you?" Ron asked finally, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He's your brother Ron, eldest brother too."

"I never heard about you from Bill or Charlie."

"They didn't mention him because you would ask your mom and she would feel bad about it," Malfoy answered.

Adrian looked at Malfoy for a long moment and grinned "Draco? I'm surprised to see you here."

"We all are. I'm supposed to be in Greece but instead they sent me here, to be protected. Why are you back?"

"It got too dangerous in Ethiopia and I heard Moldywart was back, I also heard that Arthur was attacked so I broke my promise to myself and came back."

"Good see you again," Malfoy nodded

"I don't even know you, why? What happened?"

"I disliked England, so I left half-way through my fourth year at Hogwarts and traveled to Asia Minor. I trained with Dragon Riders there and studied dark creatures until Lord Malfoy contacted me with the request I teach his son. So I went to France and taught Draco here until he was nine. Then I went north to Germany and studied dark creatures there, and then went back to Asia Minor. I left for Ethiopia and stayed there, training with a cult of Dragon Riders until Dumbledore contacted me two years ago and asked me to teach at Hogwarts, I refused at first, I mean I didn't want to go back. Then he offered me the change to see and study Thestrals and Merepeople and Centuars with a select group of students. So I accepted and spent a year in preparation to leave and now I'm here. Simple as all that."

"You only had three and a half years of schooling?"

"Yeah-huh."

"What did mum and dad think when you disappeared?"

"It was just before Voldemort got shut down so they thought I'd been abducted, I heard about the frantic search for 'Adrian Calters Weasley'. Which is why, for the past 16 years I have been known as Christian Victor Brent."

"Professor Brent to me," Malfoy added, sipping his tea again.

"Yeah-huh, I'm headed over there after a short half-hour visit here. I just expected I should confront the parents first so you two wouldn't ask questions," Adrian motioned to Ginny and Ron.

"Yeah, well," Ron shrugged.

"You seem to be quiet Draco, something wrong?" Adrian looked at the blonde

The room went dead.

"What?" Adrian looked at them all.

"It is a long story Professor," Malfoy said, casting his eyes at the dredges of his tea. "Perhaps I'll explain it to you later."

"Yeah, okay," Adrian understood the odd boy to some degree. Malfoy, pretty as he was, was not too talented at conveying emotions outside the range of dislike, especially in this sort of company.

"Can anyone tell me what's been happening? Like who those two are and where all my brothers are."

"Sorry, I'm Hermione Grange, Ron and I are friends from school and I'm staying here for the summer," she offered, holding out her hand, which Adrian shook.

"I'm Harry Potter, me and Ron and 'Mione are best friends. I'm being allowed to stay here for the summer too."

"Nice to meet you Mister Potter, Miss Granger," he acknowledged them both, though paid no special mind to Harry.

"Bill is in Egypt still, I think and Charlie is in Romania with dragons, he researches them. Percy has…removed himself from the family," Molly said with some difficulty.

"He always did have his head kind of far up his ass, even as a little kid." Adrian allowed.

"Adrian!" Molly sounded scandalized and then left for the kitchen.

"He did," Adrian insisted after she'd gone.

The group chuckled.

"What were the Dragon Riders like?" Hermione asked.

"Nice people, old fashioned, rugged, dangerous and smart," Adrian said, "they-we are a dying race, few people can control dragons and fewer yet can ride them. We ride rare Ivory Scales, the last hundred or two are all in the possession of Dragon Rider clans. The one out there," he pointed, "is named Arakna'ah. She's the matriarch of a strong line we call the Spider line, her name sounds so much like arachnid and all. The cult leader, Thunder Bearer, allowed me to ride her here, when I get to Hogwarts I must send her back to Ethiopia though."

"Thunder Bearer?"

"Spiders?" Ron sounded worried.

"Yes, like the American Indians, Dragon Riders have names that come from nature, symbolizing attributes the person has that pertain to nature."

"What was yours?" Hermione asked.

"Flaming Skull," Draco said, smirking for the first time in a while.

The group laughed.

"Yeah, and you were Calm Storm," Adrian said pointedly.

"You lived with the Dragon Riders?" Ron asked, jealous.

"Only for a year when I was ten, Professor Bre-Weasely took me with him. It was pretty cool." Draco admitted.

"Lucky," Ron puffed.

"Is there any dinner?" Malfoy asked.

Molly rushed in and motioned everyone into the kitchen, they walked in and sat down around the table. Food was piled high and steam rose up from mashed potatoes and meat.

"It looks great, thanks Mum," Ron immediately began to scarf down everything in his reach.

Malfoy looked horrified, he covered his mouth and looked honestly about to hurl, Adrian stuck out his tongue and placed a hand over Malfoy's eyes. Hermione slapped Ron quickly and motioned to the two, he frowned and shrugged.

Malfoy sat down and picked out a roll from a stack and began to butter it. He put some potatoes on his plate and a small dish of vegetables, he took the smallest piece of chicken available and poured himself some water. Adrian took a lot of food but ate very slowly.

Malfoy began to take small bites of food but looked very concerned about it.

"What is wrong with you Malfoy? It's good food."

"It's not that, it is good, I'm just not-"

Adrian slapped Malfoy lightly in the arm and the boy frowned at his old teacher "Eat or I'll make you."

"I am not anorexic, stop acting as if I am," Malfoy hissed.

"You aren't anymore, I remember when you were a kid, you _never_ ate, we had to force feed you anything that wasn't water or a vegetable," Adrian said quietly

"You are exaggerating, I just hated meat," Malfoy said, trying but failing to defend himself. He was perfectly aware of his disease, Blaise, his life-friend, had sometimes been the one to keep him alive by forcing him to eat.

"You still hate meat," Adrian pointed out.

"But I eat it, it's good for me," Malfoy argued.

Ron motioned vaguely towards the salt and Harry passed it to him. Ron dumped a load onto some pork and started eating. Hermione rolled her eyes and speared a piece of broccoli. Ginny stared at Malfoy for a long moment before turning away to grimace as her brother continued his rampage of food.

"Will you four do the dishes?" Molly asked Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny "Adrian, you never said what you were teaching."

"Care of Magical Creatures," Adrian said, making the trio frown. Malfoy excused himself, getting a disapproving look from Adrian.

Malfoy appeared again with a small role of parchment and handed it off to Adrian, he sat back down and poked the meat carefully and took a small bite.

"What's this?"

"What all we've studied in Care of Magical Creatures, and the outlines for what we'll have to know for the OWL's this year."

"Sounds good."

"Will we go to Diagon Alley?"

"Soon," Molly nodded.

"I've got to head out to see about a loft in London until September," Adrian stood and headed out towards the door.

"Adrian!" Molly stopped him "Stay here for the night, I-I mean you can leave tomorrow, we haven't seen you in sixteen years. Please, just one night."

He looked around nervously and grimaced as he looked at his mother, but he nodded anyway "You can stay with Draco, I'm sure he'll be fine with that."

Malfoy nodded slowly and led Adrian upstairs. Ron finished and started helping Hermione clear the dishes. Harry frowned and took his place in the line, Malfoy was being way too civil.

"What the happened to you?" Adrian walked in.

"I-"

"Don't even lie to me" Adrian said, giving the Slytherin Prince a stern look.

* * *

_Again, sorry about confusion, I'm just trying to make the story better by combining too short chapters and editing them to make characters more believable and removed overly detailed things that don't deserve so much detail. _

_Send me an email with questions or anything: you for being patient, you're incredible and don't feel shy about reviewing!_

_Love-Firestorm00X_


	4. You are a very well dressed blonde guy

_Again, this used to be a few chapters, I combined and edited them. Thank-you!

* * *

_

Harry and Ron trudged upstairs and stopped to glance into Malfoy's room, he was seated on the bed with his legs crossed Indian style and a book in his lap. Adrian was looking through all the clothes. Harry's throat tightened, the Slytherin Prince looked almost human just then.

"I think you should teach our year about dragons, in depth, it is your forte after all."

"Yes, and what would I teach the years above and below you?"

"Well, I think the fifth years would get a kick out of Sandskitters and Harpies, you could contact my third cousin Inixi and ask her to visit. That'd be a good time to teach everyone about them, actually," Malfoy answered. He flipped the page of the book.

"You really think fifteen year old kids would like Sandskitters? You do mean the giant centipede-esque things with pincers and a passion for digging holes?"

"Sure, we had loads of fun with flobberworms in forth year," Malfoy made a face.

"What?"

"The half-giant who taught us breed these horrendous things he called flobberworms, they shot fireworks out their arse."

Adrian laughed and set back a jade colored sweater, Malfoy looked up at Adrian "Are you looking through my clothes again? They don't fit you."

"So, they're all so stylishly cute," Adrian said in a mocking voice.

"They are all expensive" Malfoy unfolded his legs and climbed softly to the ground, so he could walk over and snatch a pair of black silk pajama bottoms out of Adrian's hands.

The red-head spun around and smirked at the blonde, he walked over and flopped down on the bed, Malfoy chucked the pajamas back at the closet and set the book down on a dresser. Harry and Ron quickly hid on either side of the door and watched as the blonde jumped onto the bed and rested on his back next to Adrian. Adrian patted Malfoy's stomach before he got up off the bed and began to explore the book collection.

"What are you planning to do after Hogwarts?"

"I think that, if Potter has gotten off his lazy arse and killed Voldemort, I'll continue to lounge around Europe until I feel the need to take over the Dominicus Corporation from my cousin Veritas." Malfoy sounded rehearsed on that. He was really, his place was to take over the business and make a lot of money.

"If not?"

"I'll kill the bastard myself, because I'm not sitting around and waiting for some stupid Gryffindor to do it." He was bitter.

"Good plan," Adrian rolled his eyes and chose an old copy of 'A Breeders Guide Magical Creatures Heat Seasons', he walked back over to the bed and laid down "Why do you have this?"

"I think Bellatrix sent it to Narcissa for a graduation present cause my mum wanted something to do with breeding, it's probably why the Manor Grounds are crawling with weird little cross-breed monsters. Half Unicorn-Centaurs, 'Unitaurs' or 'Centicorns' as Narcissa calls them, Pixie-Imp's have hives all over, Narcissa calls them 'Pimps' or 'Ixies'. I do not know what she was thinking."

"You like the little flying horses right?"

"Phoenix-Horses or Pegasus, ancient creatures, Narcissa didn't create them she just bred them for a long time."

"Those."

Harry glared hard at Malfoy, he would kill Voldemort, he was not some stupid Gryffindor. Ron was glaring too, though Harry didn't really know why. Harry watched as Malfoy sat up and pulled his knees to his chest.

A red and orange ball appeared and exploded, sending the blonde off the bed and causing Adrian to jump. It caused no damage but was shocking.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"I think it's what father and the Medi-Wizards refer to as "Untainted, untapped magical energy that can only be controlled with extreme power of will and training." I am sorry, it doesn't normally happen unless I'm mad. It's been happening since a year or two ago."

Adrian was about to say something but he stopped and began looking over another book.

Ginny started walking up the stairs and Harry quickly walked across to Ron, as if he was going upstairs.

Ginny stopped in front of the door and looked around, and then she smiled at Adrian and gave Malfoy a nervous glance. "I'm off to bed, so I'll see you in the morning. If you want to be up at a certain time just tell mum and she'll see to it."

"Thank you." Adrian nodded and looked out the window with a broad smile and a slight nod towards Draco.

Ginny smiled and started to pull the door closed when Hermione barged in and walked into the centre of the room "Can I borrow a few books?" She asked.

"Sure?" Malfoy pointedly moved far away from her.

With that Hermione took twelve of the largest books there and staggered out and upstairs to her and Ginny's room. Malfoy and Adrian watched her go with confused expressions. Ginny reached back to close the door when Molly rushed in and kissed Adrian goodnight, she waved to Malfoy and disappeared. Arthur stopped and said good-night and finally Ginny closed the door.

Morning came and Harry and Ron arrived downstairs to find Molly sitting and drinking tea in the living room with Arthur, the two boys frowned and peered into the kitchen. Adrian was sitting on a counter top munching a scone while Malfoy made breakfast. Ginny and Hermione came down and watched as the Slytherin levitated the food to the table. He looked up and shot the group a cold glare before telling the Weasleys that breakfast was ready.

There was ham, omelets, beans on toast, porridge and scones, Harry looked at his food curiously and then took a bite only after everyone else had. Malfoy rolled his large gray eyes and took a small drink from his goblet of orange juice.

"I've got to leave, I'll write soon, I'll be fine, don't worry and good luck," Adrian stood and tried to leave, but Molly flung herself at him and hugged him for a few moments before he left. As Adrian reached the door he turned back over his shoulder and winked. Harry and the rest watched him approach the dragon Arakna'ah, he gave her a wave and she lowered her head. Adrian grasped the chain, climbed up and the huge white creature rose into the air, beating her wings. They took off in the direction of London, slowly disappearing from view.

"I think that it would be good if we went to Diagon Alley today, we can pick-up our school supplies."

"We don't have our lists you git," Ron sneered at the blonde, just as he finished a large barn owl swooped in and dropped off the five letters.

Malfoy nodded at Ron and picked up his, the Slytherin crest glittered on the back, the label on Harry's read ; To Mr. Harry Potter-The Table in the Weasley's Kitchen-The Burrow-England. Molly looked at Ron and Ginny's lists and tsked loudly as she read the books.

Ron looked at Hermione's list and rolled his eyes "You taking every course again 'Mione?"

"No I am not, just Arithmacy, Runes, World Wizarding Religion and Muggle Studies, it says 'Working Clothes'. What do you suppose that means?"

"I dunno," Ron shrugged and took a large bite of ham.

"We'll see," Harry looked at several of the text books, one of the DADA books was written by Snape. Definitely a bad sign "Malfoy, did Snape get the Defense teacher position he's wanted for awhile now?"

"Nope, he wrote me to say it was awarded to Kristopher Srene, a powerful Auror from America. He's got merit awards in Defense for fighting Death Eaters at the '94 Cup, excellent marks in Physical and Mental strength in Auror training, O's on the NEWTs in Charms, Defense, Dark Arts, Potions and Combat. He worked a few years undercover at the American Ministry in the Department of Mysteries and discovered the counter-curse for the Granicas curse."

"How do you know that?"

"Snape writes me about each year's new teacher, Trewalny got her job back, Frenz is helping that giant and Adrian with Care of Magical Creatures."

"Do you know why Hagrid isn't the teacher anymore?" Ginny asked.

"Dumbledore probably wanted a proper teacher and someone who knows real information about creatures." Ron looked ready to pounce but Hermione broke in.

"The Granicas curse you said? The one that turns someone into granite?" Hermione looked up from her list.

"The very one, it also says he's got merits for reflexes and reaction time in real-time duel."

"Let me see," Hermione snatched the letter from his hands and read through it "He got O's for Arithmacy and Ancient Runes! I can't believe he became an Auror and still kept taking those courses."

"Give me my mail back Granger," Malfoy grabbed back his letter and scanned through it once more "He took them because he needed extra credits Granger."

Harry looked between the two and accidentally caught Malfoy's eyes as he looked up. They both stopped for a millisecond and Harry found his breath stopped in his throat.

"Where does it say that?" Hermione reached for the letter breaking the trance.

"Severus said 'I doubt he actually took the intellectual courses for the knowledge, it appeared he only accumulated 19 of the 21 required credits with the physical courses. We both know Arithmacy and Runes are the easiest intellectual courses' right at the bottom." Malfoy turned away and smirked at Hermione.

"They are not!" Hermione said shrilly.

"We'll leave in twenty minutes, everyone get ready," Molly nearly yelled over the ruckus Hermione was causing.

Everyone trudged upstairs, Harry and Ron dressed quickly and rushed back down and waited until Hermione, Ginny and Molly appeared. Another ten minutes later Malfoy walked down.

He was in black trousers with a black suit jacket on over a blue satin shirt, he had black shoes, a white necklace with a sapphire on it and a silver ring on. He gave them a weak smile and moved to leave with everyone else.

They arrived on the other side of the brick wall and several other people, Slytherins, from Hogwarts walked over. Blaise Zambini, a tall boy with a broad build and brunette hair swept sideways over his left eye, came over wearing a green cashmere sweater and some black trousers. Next to him stood Pansy Parkinson, a thick built girl with slightly curled blonde hair and pug face. She wore a long skirt and layered tank-tops with a lot of thick bracelets and large beaded necklaces. Her fingers held a cigarette and her make-up was dark and artsy. Muggle clothes were very popular this season according to Witch Weekly and of course, Slytherins were on top of fashion trends.

"I'll meet you all back here in a few hours, I have shopping to do." Immediately Zabini was next to his friend with a slightly possessive air about him.

"Now you wait a moment, I was told to look after you, Harry, Ron, Hermione go with him and his friends. Or else I'll come."

Malfoy gave a conceding nod and turned to whisper something to Zabini in another language before they moved off. The trio trailed angrily behind. Malfoy turned slightly over his shoulder and caught Harry's eye again, they stared shortly and broke away when Blaise nudged Malfoy and whispered something in another language. Harry turned to see Ron staring at Blaise in either anger or lust, he couldn't really tell.

With a very thick air of tension, the group set off, lion trailing snake.

"I can't believe we're stuck with Malfoy and the Slytherin Squad for the day," Ron grumbled.

"It'll be interesting, Slytherin has the quality," Hermione interjected.

They walked down the street, past Florish and Blotts, Olivanders, the Potion shop, and all the other stores that the Gryffindors were familiar with. The Slytherins walked all the way to the end and into a large, two story shop with most of the letters on the sign gone 'L E BK'. It turned out to be a bookstore, more books crammed this store than the library. A spiral staircase went up to the second story though it looked treacherous with books lining every step.

A man in drab brown robes appeared from behind a huge copy of a book labeled 'The Scriptures of Egypt in original Egyptian Hieroglyphs'. He had thick spectacles and a toothless smile barely visible from beneath a heavy gray beard.

"Three sets of Hogwarts School Text Books for Sixth Year 'eh?"

"Yes sir, you can just send them ahead to Hogwarts, Slytherin house."

"Of course, consider it done, let us have a looksie at what the new texts for Defense are 'eh?" Pansy produced the list and the man adjusted his glasses and squinted at the list. He went behind a counter covered in dusty scripts and wrote down the list and smiled happily.

"Last time the Grinstine series was used was 1983, you're having an Auror for a teacher 'eh? Who is he?"

"Srene, Kristopher, American."

"Aye, I heard of him, he ordered a copy of 'Lupuas Guide to Combat Training' a few years back, '91 I believe. A rare book these days. Good man."

"Thank-you, can you tell us anything about the Pelx Goblin Trade of 372?" Malfoy asked, he seated himself on a stack of books and watched the old man scan the shelves for a millisecond.

"The Plex Trade was between Lord Minch and a goblin leader named Plextocricatis, Plex for short. In 372 a war between him and Minch had just ended and a trade route was established through the heart of the Carpathian mountains. Here, this is has a few chapters on it," The man handed Malfoy a small book and then turned back to the shelves, he glanced at the trio over his glasses "Is there anything I can do for your-you?"

"They're Gryffindors Hindley, nothing, they shop at Florish and Blotts."

"Gryffindors? Eck, causing ruckus 'round these parts, acting as if ye' own everything and coming in here and standing in the way of the door. Useless, never since James Potter and his little motley crew of Neanderthals have I let a Gryffindor in this shop."

"It's so huge though and you have so many books." Hermione looked around in awe.

"Yes, I know, however very few people really appreciate books."

"I know! How do you keep everything organized?"

"Organized? I don't, if you can find it you can buy it, if you can't you're not worthy to read."

"What a silly idea," Hermione laughed and looked over a stack of books.

"It's ingenious," Hindley said sharply, he mounted a tall ladder and went sailing down the row, seemingly grabbing books randomly off the shelves. He then came flying back with a trail of books floating through the air behind him. Hindley set down and set the books into four stacks, each one he tied with a thick leather cross that held the Slytherin crest and a 6 in the center.

"You couldn't find a thing in here, Granger" Malfoy said, flipping through a book titled 'Metamagices, the Magic Repellent Mineral'.

"I could find anything I needed in this pig-sty."

"I challenge you, name anything, and if you cant find it by the time we get back here at the end of the day, you admit your not worthy and announce such at the opening feast, in an utterly serious tone and then toast to the health and prosperity of the Purebloods in Slytherins House." Malfoy got right in her face and glared at her.

"If I win?"

"You wont," Malfoy smirked "If you should find it then you can name your price at the time, within the boundaries of good taste."

"Deal." Hermione stuck out her hand to shake.

Malfoy just looked at it and quirked an eyebrow, he turned to the others and smirked again "You're all witnesses to the bet, name what you're looking for Granger."

"Information on the Plex trade," Hermione shot him a look and stalked off down an aisle of books.

Malfoy nodded. This act exhausted him, Pansy and Blaise could sense it, they were very willing to allow him a confidential moment if only it weren't for the Gryffindors there. Malfoy was far to proud to admit to what happened with them around. Sometime though, his dear friends would know the truth. But Malfoy couldn't help wonder how much longer they would stay around after they knew. He was soiled now.


	5. The winner of the bet and shopping!

I don't own Harry Potter or anything thus associated.

"I'm going for new robes," Malfoy led the Slytherins out, Harry and Ron followed.  
Next they walked across to a robe shop, racks and stacks of robes and uniforms in all colors, shapes and sizes and styles crowded the small store. A woman with wild gray hair and a small pincushions clipped in her hair appeared from the back and grinned at the boys.

"I have your robes all set Mr. Malfoy, yours too Mr. Zambini, Mr. Avery, Mr. Mrel. Draco I added the silver lining here on the hems as a special extra," She produced a single from somewhere. It was thick black material with loose sleeves and an upturned collar, along the sleeves, bottom edge and collar was a line of silver X's that glittered angelically, the Slytherin crest stood prominently on the chest and had the name Draconis stitched where the house name would usually go.

"This is the winter set?" Malfoy shrugged off his coat and pulled on the robe, it hung nicely down to the ground and complimented his thin hips and long legs. "Yes it is, oh how marvelous they look"  
Malfoy turned slowly and looked to the other Slytherins, they all nodded "You heard the woman Malfoy, they look really nice."

"Thank-you Leah, they are wonderful."

"The fall and spring sets both have the same hem but I added a special touch to the spring set. See?" She held out a thinner robe with a Malfoy family crest instead of a Slytherin and a glittering green snake sown around the left sleeve.

"They're perfect, thank you," Malfoy looked over it and nodded approvingly.

"Custom made robes? A private book-dealer? What is with this guy?" Ron hissed, he looked around and glared coldly at the Slytherins.

"He's rich Ron, if you had the money you'd use it too."

"I know, but still, all this?"

"I don't know mate"

"I'll just send these straight to school for you, would you like a set for the ride?"

"No, I'll just wear a black set, thank-you Leah."

They all turned to leave when a group of women walked in, amongst them, standing between a very lavishly dressed Mrs. Fudge and a woman with curled black hair stood Narcissa Malfoy. The women stopped and looked at the Slytherins, they all turned up their noses and walked towards the owner with friendly smiles. Draco Malfoy and the others left in silence, Harry and Ron trailed them.

They finished the Slytherin's shopping, which was really just checking to make sure all his things were being delivered to the school by September 1st. They finally did Harry and Ron's shopping, getting everything in a rushed twenty minutes. They walked back down to the bookstore to find Hermione screaming at Hindley.

"GET THIS LITTLE BEAVER-FACED NEANDERTHAL OUT OF MY SHOP!" Hindley yelled as they came in the door.

"He wont even tell me how to find anything on the Plex trade!" Hermione screamed back.  
Malfoy rolled his eyes and glanced at a stack of books near his elbow, he pulled one from the center and held it out in front of her the title read The Goblin Trade Routes through the Carpathians, A History Malfoy flipped to the table of contents and found about a hundred pages on the Plex Trade.

"You bastard!" Hermione nearly slapped him, she rushed out and disappeared to finish her own shopping.

Malfoy smirked and set the book back down, Hindley gave hima look and then disappeared behind the counter. Beside him Harry could sense Ron's anger at seeing Hermione so upset. The year was definitly going to get wierder.

Sooo sorry about the time in between updates, no excuse i'm a bad author! I'll try to be more frequent and get longer chapters up.

Please review, i would like 100 someday!


	6. Witch Weekly 20 Hottest Wizarding Bachel...

AN: OK! New chapter, i'm sorry it took a little while, i wanted to be better about that too! smacks face So, sorry about any randomness, it's like semi-important to Harry's growing interest in our handsome blonde guy and to the plot...kind of. So, read please and review!

8 8 8 8 8

A week later Witch Weekly arrived and sent Ginny into a fit of exited screams in the living room. Hermione rushed over and covered her mouth in shock and started laughing. Ron and Harry came over and got an eye full of Draco Malfoy. The background was black and ominous while the Slytherin lay with one leg bent at the knee and his hands folded beneath his head. He was turned away with his eyes staring back at the four Gryffindors silently while the headline boasted "20 HOTTEST WIZARD BACHELORS!" and "INTERVIEW WITH THE HOTTEST YOUNG MAN ALIVE!".

"What in the bloody hell?" Ron blanched and turned away to make gagging noises in the corner.

"Let's see it then," Harry said and sat down on the other side of Ginny.

She flipped it open and they were greeted by a fold out poster of Malfoy. Ginny tore it out and opened it up. Malfoy was leaning against a dark stone wall, one arm crossed over his exposed chest and the other held a cigarette near his icy blue lips. He wore only a pair of faded black jeans and a chain necklace, white blonde hair hung into his eyes and almost reached his smirking lips.

Ginny laughed and folded it back up, setting it down on the coffee table in front of her. They returned to the magazine and began the article.

"#1 HOTTEST BACHELOR -

DRACONIS ALEXANDER LUCIUS MALFOY

This 15 year old stud lives in a variety of places due to multiple homes in countries like France, Greece, Germany, and Russia. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry here in Europe and plays Quidditch for his house team. He flies a new Firebolt X10 broom (after his Nimbus 2001 was destroyed by Aurors from the Ministry during a raid of one of their manors) and plays Seeker. His father, a convicted Death Eater, has disappeared from public's eye in recent months though Draconis, Draco for short, graciously accepted the award and let the Witch Weekly reporters into his home for the interview. He was educated at Granite Falls Primary School, for three years before he went to Hogwarts and prior to that had some of the most celebrated wizards and witches as his private teachers. The family fortune reaches in the billions of galleons and that's just in hard money. With investments in the Muggle world, Real Estate in the Wizarding world, business world wide, and miscellaneous assets the fortune hits an amazing hundred billion dollars. He enjoys Quidditch, playing instruments (piano, cello, violin, flute, guitar and drums), running, reading (in multiple languages) and spending time with his close friends Blaise Zabini (page 22, #16) and Jasper Lenoige (page 19, #9).

Q: What's it like to have so much money at you're disposal?

A: It's very well appreciated, there's so much that no one could ever spend it. Even if we could there's so much of it coming in at all times you'd have to start buying countries to keep up with the amounts.

Q: What's you're biggest splurge with the family fortune?

A: Well in second year, as a congratulation for making House Team my father bought the seven Slytherin players Nimbus 2001's. But personally the most I've ever spent was, I think, about 20,000 when I went shopping with Jasper for Armani in London and we stopped off at Harod's for some new accessories. I got a diamond studded bracelet and an emerald ring by the way, I like them a lot.

Q: What were all your tutors for as a child?

A: I had one for manners, one for school work like arithmetic and penmanship, one for magic like charms and transfiguration, one for potions, one for each language French, Spanish, Greek, Latin, German, Italian, Gaelic, Polish and Russian, one for each instrument, one for flying, one for equestrian, one for culture and one for defense. I still have my fencing instructor though.

Q: Do you think of yourself as a Hot Bachelor?

A: (Laugh) No, I don't consider myself hot, but I am single as I haven't actually dated anyone-ever-much to the speculation of my school mates. In fourth year we had a ball and I went with a girl I've known my entire life and she's like sister to me but people thought we were some sort of item. I don't know where they got that though.

Q: Have you ever been kissed?

A: Never, I don't even think my mother's kissed me. I think that kiss is a sign of true affection, whether it be between lovers, or family, to me it means that you honestly care about this person. I've not met anyone like that, who means that much to me, well I haven't met them yet. So, I won't just give away kisses casually, it's just a point of view.

Q: What's your best memory from childhood?

A: When I was about 7, I was home for the summer and my parents were gone so I went exploring on the manor grounds. It was the first time I found my father's private stables, where we keep our rarer horses. It was the first time I rode a magical unicorn and it was really great, because I went out to the forest beyond the gates and I found a fairy glen and it was like a fantasy adventure from a storybook.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or scars?

A: No scars, but I have the family crest on my back, a black wolf on my left foot, nine stars on my right thigh and a black rose and ivy on my inner left arm.

BASIC INFORMATION:

Full name: Draconis Alexander Lucius Malfoy

Age: 15

Birthday: November 23rd

School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hair: White Blonde

Eyes: Gray

Height: 66 inches

Weight: 127 pounds

Favorite Number: 6/22

Favorite Color: Silver

Favorite Music: Anything loud (ShinDiggers, Braingush, Unicorn Frog, and Ass Whip are a few of his preffered bands at the moment)

Favorite Animal: White Tiger

Favorite Book: Dracula, in French.

The list went on, covering things like 'Favorite Type of Cookie' (white fudge) and 'Number of Broken Bones' (4, left arm 2x, right ankle, right wrist). Harry could barely suppress a smile as Hermione and Ginny turned to look at the two page collage of pictures.

One had him sitting backwards on a piano bench, legs open, leaning back against the keys and holding a glass of red wine, shirtless again. They looked through the rest of the winners and found that one of the two pictures of Jasper Lenoige was of a him and Malfoy standing side by side in matching black Quidditch uniforms. Something about this magazine made Harry suspect they would have spent the entire issue on pictures of him had they not had to do other things.

Harry saw the way the girls obviously oggled him, at least in the pictures, and Harry felt himself more interested in the Slytherin, physically at least. It became interesting just to study the lines of his face, his eyes, his hair...his lips which looked incredibly kissable as the wizarding picture would sometime bit his bottom lip in an adorable way when Jasper Lenoige would say something.

XOXO! Review please.


	7. KISS!

I do not own Harry Potter or anything thus associated.

8 8 8 8

Breakfast was nearly over but the blonde hadn't appeared downstairs yet. Molly was getting nervous and slightly annoyed at this so she sent Harry upstairs to get him out of bed. When he arrived Harry saw the blonde standing in front of his mirror with a towel around his waist. He'd just taken a shower and was applying lotion to his arms, his white hair hanging down, dripping a little.

"Err, Malfoy?"

"Potter!" Malfoy whirled around at the sound of his voice. The blonde looked rather surprised and slightly peeved at the interruption from the golden boy.

"Breakfast is pretty much finished and Mum Weasley sent me to get you, since we hadn't seen you this morning or anything." Harry explained what he was doing there, averting his eyes quickly from the half-naked Slytherin in front of him.

"What'd you look away for savior?"

"I-well-you're-uhm-I-naked-you-uhm-I," Harry stammered, blushing.

"Hmm, something you want to say Potter?" Malfoy took a few steps forward, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ehhhm...you're just naked is all," Harry said, biting his lip and keep his eyes turned away.

"No I'm not, I have a towel on. Besides, we're both boys, it's not as if you've never seen a penis before," Malfoy said, smirking at the Gryiffndor's obvious discomfort.

"I'll just go, I mean, you should –uhm- finish getting ready," Harry moved to leave.

"Wait Potter, come back in and shut the door," Malfoy instructed him. Not really knowing why he did this, Harry complied.

"What did you need Malfoy?"

"You've been acting a little...how should I say this? I've felt you looking at me, I can see it in your eyes whenever we look at each other. I don't know what it is, but it's there," Malfoy said, he kept his arms crossed and his voice gave off nothing but curiosity.

"I don't know what you-re talking about Malfoy," Harry said, still not looking at the other boy.

"Look into my eyes Potter," Malfoy commanded. Harry turned his head and their eyes connected.

Immediately Harry sensed his heart ache, like someone had gripped his chest tightly. The gray eyes looked as surprised as he felt, Malfoy must have felt it too.

_I've always hated him, what is this feeling? It isn't hatred, I know that. But..._

Harry didn't finish his thought, because he felt himself walking towards the blonde. The closer he got, the more his heart ached. Every muscle wanted him to simply touched the blonde, in even the slightest way.

The blonde's arms dropped to his sides and he walked forward too. Neither had blinked or looked away that entire time.

What was this?

When they met in the centre of the room, just a few feet apart, Harry thought he might just die from whatever was making him so desperately need the blonde across from him.

It was Draco who made the final move, he reached out and took Harry's hand, and pulled him close. He pressed his bare chest against Harry and their foreheads touched, their noses touched. Harry tilted his head slightly to the side and pressed his lips flat against the blonde's.

The ache in his heart was immediately replaced with an incredible elated feeling, he'd never felt such happiness or freedom. Harry closed his eyes and gave up to that feeling and he sensed Malfoy press himself closer. Their fingers entwined and Harry's other hand reached around the blonde's waist to secure him in his place. Malfoy's hand slid up Harry's arm to his hair, where he tangled his fingers and pressed Harry's lips more firmly to his own.

The room grew warmer and the water droplets running down Malfoy's neck from his hair evaporated, the few candles around the room lit themselves. A wind carried through the room from no where, swirling around the two kissing boys. It picked up papers from the desk and carried them to the floor, it swept through the hangings around the bed, making them rustle. Magic rushed from them into the room, through the cracks in the walls and it filled the house.

The kiss was broken when air became desperately important, the wind stopped suddenly when their lips left each other. As Harry pulled back to look into Malfoy's eyes, he saw confusion and possibly fear in the gray eyes.

"What was that?"

"I-I don't know."

Downstairs they could hear the Weasleys and Hermione asking what had happened. Foot steps signaled someone was coming upstairs. Harry and Draco pulled apart from each other, each immediately felt the strange ache again but kept their distance, putting on faces as if they'd been arguing.

"Boys? Are you two okay? Did you feel that strange wind?" Molly asked, opening the door.

"We didn't feel anything," Malfoy said, sneering at her.

Molly gave him a look and was about to say something when Arthur called the Dumbledore had arrived. She immediately left, looking rather concerned as to the reason for the visit.

Harry glanced after her and then back at Malfoy. The blonde frowned and nodded to him, as if to say "go see what it is." Harry smiled slightly and went after Molly. He reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Lucius Malfoy standing there next to the HeadMaster.

"-don't you insult me in my own home," Arthur was saying as Harry appeared.

"Is that what you call this dump? Give me my son and I'll be going," Lucius said, glaring at Arthur.

"I'm afraid that the Ministry said Lucius has rightful custody of Draco until September when he goes to school. He must go with his father," Albus nodded solemnly. Molly and Arthur exchanged worried looks but nodded.

"Harry dear, could you go tell Draco his father is here and he is to go with him?" Molly asked him, she looked sad really.

Harry nodded mutely, worried now what would happen to the boy he'd just shared an amazing kiss with, a kiss that filled the Burrow with wind and magic. He returned to Draco's room to find the boy dressed and putting on a necklace.

"Hey," Harry walked into the room and felt that ache again.

"What is it?" Draco felt it too but didn't show it, something was wrong downstairs.

"You're father is here, you have to go with him," Harry said, his worry evident.

Malfoy nodded and flicked his wand at his things. They flew into the trunks, then he changed the room back to what it had been and Harry felt the finality of the action. He was leaving.

"Will you be okay?" Harry asked.

"Yes...but...wait, what are we Po-Harry?" Malfoy asked. Harry felt some sort of warmth when the blonde said his given name, like they were closer than before. Harry ran a hand through his hair and took a few steps into the room.

"I don't know, I actually haven't got a clue as to how I actually feel about you, escpeially after whatever that kiss was...I, I'll have to talk to you at school. You have to go right now," Harry said, looking back at the empty doorway.

"It'd be to dangerous to owl in the next few weeks. So, at school," Malfoy nodded.

"Yeah, at school," Harry agreed.

Malfoy seemed to hesitate for a second before he walked over, stood on tip-toe to close the small space between their lips and kissed Harry briefly. Relieving both of the pain for a few seconds.

They pulled apart and Malfoy walked past Harry, his trunks floating behind him.

8 8 8 8 8

It wasn't until the Hogwarts Express that Harry felt the strange ache again, it'd stopped after a few days. But now, three weeks later, it was back and Harry wanted nothing more than to see that Slytherin Prince at that moment.

8 8 8 8 8

AN: YAY! Reviews please...I gave you what you wanted, sorry it took 13 chapters.!

Hey, tell me if you want me to go back and make edits to previous chapters, I'm considering adding more foreshadowing to this event as well as taking out some of the spazzy details and working more on the reactions of people to Draco's rape...tell me what you think!


	8. MORE KISSES ON A TRAIN! boom!

CHAPTER 15! You're all awesome! Still kind of looking for a beta, alert me if you know of a good one.100 Reviews Goal! Please help me achieve this!

HERE:

8 8 8 8 8

Harry sat there, restless for the entire train ride, he wanted to run through the train and find Draco, find out how he was, what Lucius had wanted...what Lucius had done.

It was fascinating, this sudden obsession with Draco, this need to be near and with him and the pain in his heart that dictated it all. Harry listened to Hermione and Ron talking about classes and the need to take Potions, but he didn't really listen, instead he strained his ears to hear footsteps in the hall, praying to eventually hear Malfoy's.

"Come on, come on," Harry whispered under his breath, focusing on the steps he heard now. He willed for it to be Draco, even if he was just here to insult him. But no, it was the snack cart, the kind old woman asked them if they wanted anything. Though he was hungry, Harry said no and impatiently waited for her to leave as Hermione and Ron each got a Cauldron Cake. The train ride was dragged out far longer than it had ever been before. Harry was constantly moving, watching the door, watching the scenery, sitting, standing, pacing, lying down, listening to Ron and Hermione, listening to the footfalls outside. The chime signaled the need to change so Harry and Ron moved to go across the hall to change. Harry passed into the hall from their compartment and stopped, here it, that strange pain, was stronger, he was closer to Draco at that moment than he had been the entire train ride. He looked between the open doors on either side of him, both Ron and Hermione were giving him questioning looks from where they stood in their compartments.

He was half-way between his two best friends, but something was pulling him towards his best enemy.

Could he really be called that anymore?

They'd kissed, and caused some sort of strange magical reaction. Was it just hormones in their adolescent bodies hitting the magic in their blood that made the heat and wind? Or could it be something else? Harry didn't know, but he wanted to be near Draco, so he, after a moments hesitation, moved down the hall in whichever direction his heart pulled him.

Eventually he ended up outside a compartment 67, this one was in the sixth car of the train, the Slytherin territory. This car and the seventh car, the end of the train, it was mostly used by snakes. But Harry paid little attention as he knocked on the door.

It opened and shut almost instantly, Malfoy was now pressed between Harry and the door, looking at him almost expectantly. "Yes?"

"I-I," Harry couldn't find words, now faced with the person he'd been obsessing with for the best three weeks.

"Come on, we can't talk here in the hall," Malfoy grabbed his wrist and pulled him down, deep into the last car, the last compartment on the left. He opened it and pulled Harry inside, then closed and locked the door.

"Why are we down here?"

"It's the only soundproofed compartment on the train, plus now that we're in here, the door has disappeared, kind of like we've vanished," Malfoy explained, sitting on one of the cushioned seats.

Harry sat down across from him. They looked at each other, and instantly their eyes met.

"What's going on between us?" Draco asked, as if resigning himself to what it was he felt.

"I don't know but I wish I did, and then again, I don't really know if I want to know...it seems strange but, for the past three weeks I haven't really been able to stop thinking about what happened. I guess I haven't been able to stop thinking about you either," Harry admitted, running a hand through his hair, nervous as to Draco's reaction.

"So it wasn't just me," Malfoy said, he smiled at Harry, well as much of a smile as he would allow himself.

"No, it wasn't," Harry could only manage that before he felt the magnetic pull towards Draco. But it was the blonde who responded first, standing and moving across to Harry, refusing to break eye-contact. The Slytherin Prince crawled onto Harry's lap, straddling his thighs, and he touched his forehead to Harry's staring directly into his eyes.

"Kiss me," Draco commanded.

Harry obeyed swiftly, planting his lips on Draco's, smiling as he felt his heart flutter. Harry felt in the back of his mind like a foolish little school-girl with a crush, but the larger part of his mind promptly sat on the small back part and he opened his mouth to Draco's tongue.

The second their tongues met a shock of magic rippled through the train, knocking out the lights and scaring the shit out of all the students. They started to scream, fearing a Death Eater attack.

But hidden in compartment 80, the two sixth year boys didn't notice anything more than the buzz they got from kissing. It reached their fingertips and both confused and excited them. There was magic in them that connected through the contact of their skin. It made it feel even more dangerous, more scandalous, better.

Another wave of magic pulsed through the train from the hidden compartment, caused by Harry biting lightly on the blonde's tongue, earning a moan. Draco ran his hands through Harry's wild black hair, feeling slightly light-headed he pulled back. He didn't think anything of the dizziness, marking it off as lack-of-oxygen. Harry felt the same thing, but he loved the feeling, normally the disconnectedness and the feeling was associated with Voldemort and bad things. But right now, this was anything but bad. He had a gorgeous blonde boy on his lap.

"Yummy," Draco purred and smirked.

Harry let out a laugh and clasped his hands behind the Slytherin's back, to hold him in place. "How was your summer?"

"Fine, after I left the Weasley hut Father took me back to France. He was rather pissed off that nothing really was done to the rapist, he swore revenge and all that. My mum took care of me really," Draco shrugged, playing with some of Harry's bangs.

"Are you okay with that? You never really got to recover," Harry asked.

Mafloy's face hardened slightly, he didn't want to show the shame and guilt he felt about that. "I'm fine, I was raised to be strong and never be affected by what other people do. I never needed to recover, I was never hurt."

Harry sensed this was a lie, he didn't know how, since Malfoy was the best liar he'd ever met, ever. Harry didn't want to keep his suspicions to himself, but he didn't want to press to hard.

"Are you sure? I'll listen if you need me," he tried for a more supportive approach.

"I'm…sure," Draco nodded, he'd not met Harry's eyes during this short exchange, a sign Harry took to mean he was indeed lying.

_What I really want to say Harry is that I don't want to drive you away with my self-pitying, my guilt. I'm still suffering from what happened. I want your help, I…I need your help._ This was a huge revelation for the Malfoy heir, he hadn't needed anyone for a long time, not his parents, not really since he could speak and hold a wand. But this, he did need someone. Could he really trust Potter though? He wasn't ready to through those dice just yet, he wanted to with his heart, but his Malfoy-built mind told him to hold out, if only for a little while.

_Don't trust to quickly, you'll always get lied to._ Lucius had said a thousand times, now it's what he believed.

"We have to change," Harry said, the train had been stopped for a while, since the magic had shut it down, but it was starting to move again.

Draco nodded and slowly, painfully removed himself from on top of Harry, not wanting to really let go. Harry kissed his cheek and smiled. "I'll see you at the feast or in classes on Monday."

"Damn straight." Draco smirked at him. Very Malfoy-ish.

8 8 8 8 8

REVIEW! YAY! Is this too short? It's the sort of length I'm going to be aiming for…but tell me if it's not enough! Remember 100 reviews!


	9. Partykind of!

100 REVIEWS! YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY! The party starts showing up…finally!

16:

Draco left compartment 80 and went back to where his friends were, already changed and putting away the few scraps from their snacks on the way over.

"We have sixty-three days until Halloween," he announced walking in. The others, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Zabini and Nott all looked at him oddly. "Traditionally that's our first party, but I want something sooner."

A glance passed around the group. "How much sooner?" Blaise asked, closing his compact mirror he'd been using to apply his eye-liner again.

"What do you say to October first?"

"That's barely a month away," Pansy said, her eyebrows raising.

"I know."

"Can we move that quickly? We'd need a setting-"

"-drinks-"

"-people-"

"-protection-"

"-a theme-"

"That can all be taken care of," Draco stopped Blaise and Pansy before they got too overwhelmed. "Just make it happen, I'll do most of it, but I will need your help."

"We'd also be planning the Eve of Evil at the same time…can we handle that, schoolwork and social obligations?" Everyone knew what Blaise was referring too. Keeping up the façade of Death Eater in-training.

"We're Slytherins, we can do anything," Malfoy said, he smirked and led them out as the train stopped. Outside the light was nearly gone but lanterns escorted students into horseless carriages. Draco made sure to shove a few under-years on his way to the foremost carriage. Behind him the Slytherin house was doing the same, the year was starting perfectly.

8 8 8 8 8

"Harry, where did you go?" Ron asked as his friend returned.

"I thought I saw someone I knew," he said, smiling.

"Who?" Hermione smiled interestedly.

"Ehm…a Ravenclaw I met in Diagon Alley a while ago," Harry said, trying to cover up the fault.

"Oh," Hermione obviously didn't believe him but said nothing. The train started to stop again and the trio moved to knock on doors to awaken the sleeping. A fun thing Sixth years liked to do sometimes.

"Hey guys," Ginny smiled at them, she opened her door just as Ron passed her and he rapped on her forehead, having meant to hit the door. Harry laughed and hugged Ginny, rubbing the red spot that was forming. Everyone laughed and Luna, Collin, Dennis, Dean and Seamus (all sitting in the compartment behind Ginny) waved.

"Seamus and I went to Dublin for the summer, saw some football, got really smashed a few nights ago and, I don't know about Ireland here, but I'm still a little," Dean held out his hand, palm down and tipped it side to side.

"Some people just can't hold a beer or two," Finnagen smiled proudly and rubbed Dean's shaved head, a thick peach fuzz was appearing already.

The group laughed and dismounted the train together, walking towards to the carriages. From the back of the train, they saw a wave of dark students, shoving a wide path through the younger years. At the head, illuminated by a white lantern, was Malfoy, blonde hair glowed dimly and his eyes could clearly be seen, filled with malicious intent.

Harry sense his friends tense and the snakes and themselves drew closer together. Hermione put a hand on his shoulder, meaning well, meaning to hold him back from beating Malfoy at the slightest provocation…but what she would more likely have had to hold him back from was kissing Malfoy instead. There was so little in his glare now, it looked the same to everyone else but to Harry it said "meet me later" not "rot in shite Potter."

"Let's go you guys, the stupid Slytherins don't scare us," Ron said, putting an arm around his little sister.

"Yeah," Collin and Dennis linked arms and Harry and Hermione did the same, then linking with Ron and Ginny. Luna attached to the Creevey brothers and they moved off to claim a carriage or two.

8 8 8 8 8

"Who's he?"

That was the question on every set of lips as they entered the Great Hall. Christopher Srene sat in a high-back chair, sneering at the students the way Snape did. He was a vampire. His skin was bronzed from his life before death and his hair was silver with a light sprinkling of white and black. He wore a complex looking silver robe hemmed in red with a high collar and belled sleeves. His lips were dark red, as if he'd used a coloring charm on them and his eyes were the same, vibrant green even from so far away.

"Sit, sit," Dumbledore motioned for silence and he got it.

"We'd like to welcome you to another year at Hogwarts. First we'll have the sorting, Minerva," Dumbledore motioned for her and she let in the herd of first years. She called them up after the song's finish, letting them be placed before calling another.

"So where'd you really go Harry?"

"Bronshmitz, Lisa."

"What do you mean 'Mione?"

"HUFFLEPUFF."

"On the train, no one was there when you ran off, you left the car completely. Where did you go?"

"Btonstik, George."

"I already told you, I thought I saw a Ravenclaw I'd met," Harry hissed at her, pretending to direct his attention to the Sorting.

"That's a lie, no one was there Harry. Tell the truth," Hermione urged him.

"RAVENCLAW."

"Shh Hermione, there's a sorting going on," Harry finally decided to just ignore her. She glared at him and then turned and whispered to Ginny.

It took a little while but they got their food and began to eat.

"Can you believe them?" Lavender appeared from nowhere a few minutes later.

"Who?"

"Slytherin house." She said as if they should have known what she meant. After receiving confused looks she sighed and told them. "They're planning to skip classes tomorrow so they can all get really smashed tonight."

"If they're not there and get in trouble for it, good, I don't want to spend any more time with them than I have to." Ron said, putting a baby red potato in his mouth.

"That's not all," Lavender said. "They're planning to raid Gryffindor tower during classes. They're going to steal everything."

"WHAT!" The group screamed in unison, drawing the attention of the whole table.

"They say it's Malfoy's idea," Lavender reported.

She looked about to say something else when a loud clapping stopped all noise in the hall. Everyone turned to see Malfoy standing on a bench with his goblet raised towards Hermione.

The bet.

Hermione looked stunned. She must have forgotten.

"Ms. Granger?" Malfoy raised his white eyebrows.

She stood stiffly and grabbed her goblet in a clenched fist, clasping it so hard it nearly shattered. "I'd like to propose a toast to Slytherin house, health and prosperity all around." She ground out the words like a vile taste. The snakes cheered and she slammed down into her seat.

"He's going down." Hermione's lip curled evilly and she let go of her goblet, letting a small stream of pumpkin juice dribbled down from a crack in the side.


	10. Party Plans and Blaise discovers el trut...

Harry and Ron were sitting in front of the fire later that night, looking at the sheet they'd been writing on. No, it wasn't last minute homework, it was a plan to keep the Slytherin's out the next day.

"Someone at least should stay here, even if it is to try and make a fool of us, we can't leave the common room and dorms open," Harry was trying to convince Ron of his plan.

Harry had no wish to go to classes the next day, he would rather lounge around the commons all day, waiting for a Slytherin invasion. Ron wanted to just put a curse on the door to keep everyone out without a Gryffindor crest on their robes. Hermione was upstairs working on her own plan to get back at Malfoy, which worried Harry, what with his relationship type thing with the blonde.

Ron paused for a moment, "who would stay?"

"I could, if any of the teachers ask, I could just say my scar hurt or something."

"But Harry…" Ron shrugged, partly defeated.

"It's a good plan Ron, if nothing happens then nothing happens and at least we'll have taken the precaution."

"I suppose so. I still like my curse idea better."

Harry laughed and stood up to go to bed, dragging Ron with him.

8 8 8 8 8

"Theme?" Draco looked up from the sheet of parchment he'd been using for notes on the new dance he'd asked for.

Silence responded to him for a second before Blaise spoke up. "Rebellious Catholic School Kids?"

"What?"

"No, I dated one over the summer. Catholicism is a Muggle religion and they have private school where the kids wear uniforms. Pleated skirts, ties, oxfords and all that. But we go rebellious and punk it out. Pins, colors, rips, chains, chokers, boots; it could work rather well I think," Blaise said, taking a new parchment sheet and sketching a quick but well done illustration of a punk version uniform.

"It's a bit narrow but a good start." Pansy said, looking over the sketch.

"What if we make it just make the theme Rebellion?" Draco proposed, watching the expressions of the group.

"Elaborate," Pansy motioned for him to continue.

"We could do just what Blaise proposed but in all forms, Hogwarts uniforms gone wrong, muggle military uniforms gone wrong. Rebellion, taking things meant to control you, and making them wild and trashy."

Blaise contemplated this for a moment before a smirk crossed his lips. "I love it."

"What about music then? How do we suit it to the theme?" Pansy asked.

"Punk rock," both Draco and Blaise answered her at the same time. "It's the music of rebellion."

"Where could we hold this big of an event, or this loud of one?" Pansy asked, looking down at her notes, carefully organized by topic.

Silence before, "the old Greol."

The Greol was an area in the dungeons where the Slytherins held the Winter Woozy and Summer Shag parties. It was a huge open area with a low ceiling and stone walls with little ventilation and a single entrance and exit. That was a narrow stair case hiding behind a witch statue on the third level of dungeons by a loo. Draco frowned slightly, he wanted most of the upper years sans Gryffindors, this way smoke and alcohol would make people hard to see and give an opportunity to have the Boy Who Lived out for a public spin without anyone knowing.

Pansy bit on her bottom lip and made a note of the proposition. She glanced up and saw the look on her friends face. Malfoy looked slightly distant, as if something was more alluring than _his _party plans.

"It will work." Pansy said, giving Blaise a nod to leave.

The gay Slytherin stood and stretched and took his leave, examining his black nails on his way. "Malfoy?"

"What?" He looked at her as if he'd never left the conversation.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was considering whether or not the Greol would work."

"It will, I said that just now. If you had any doubts you should have said them before Blaise left."

Malfoy shot her the "what are you getting at" look.

Pansy shook her head and stood. She looked at the clock, noted the time and left, ruffling Malfoy's hair on her way. "Night Malfoy."

"Night Parkinson." Draco ran his hand through his hair as she disappeared, putting it back in place.

"What's going on between you two?" Blaise's slightly effeminate face reappeared from the shadows by the boy's dorms.

"Nothing Blaise, I don't like Pansy in anything more than a platonic way."

"That's not what she thinks." Blaise said. He walked forward and sat on the arm of Draco's chair. As much as he hated to admit it, it was true, ever since she'd found out about his summer "incident" she'd been acting differently towards him. As if he needed someone who loved him, to show him affection and caring. But she went about it more subtly than most would expect, she knew Draco's way of thinking, being to forward would drive him away, but slow paced coddling would drive him mad…but not in a good way (she didn't know that part).

"I know," Draco put an arm around Blaise's hips and rested his head on the other boy's thigh.

"Darlin' you have to get yourself a man or woman or whatever you're into these days," Blaise sighed and played with his life-friends hair. They'd known each other since birth, and stayed extremely close (but platonic) even now.

"I…You have to swear not to let anyone know, I'm sure he's told his little friends by now, so I should tell you." Draco looked up into Blaise's interested hazel eyes.

"What is it?"

"Come on." Draco took Blaise out of the Common room and into the hall, down to the tapestry of a black rose and the went behind it into a small room decorated like a nursery.

"What's going on Drake? What's with the secrecy and paranoia?"

"You remember that weird way the train stopped earlier? The magic pulse that went through the train?"

"Of course, knocked me off my feet, nearly killed Pansy."

"It was me."

"You?"

"And Potter."

"Were you two fighting?"

"No."

"Arguing?"

"No."

"What were you doing?" Blaise's eyes widened.

"Kissing."

The brown haired Slytherin looked about to faint. "What!"

"It happened earlier this summer too, at the Weasle Hut, just before I left, we kissed and…wind and this heat wave went through the house. I can't explain it Blaise but, gods am I attracted to him. It's this pulls in my chest, like my heart wants him. It's scary but I really like it."

"Drake…" Blaise spoke after a moment. "This sounds like more than a crush, way more. I mean, I've raised a few foreign masts in my day and it's never made a train stop or a wind gust. This is both interesting and slightly scary. The fact that it's Potter doesn't matter as much as that it's you and you're my best friend."

"I know."

"Is this why you started the rumor about invading the Lion's den tomorrow?"

"Yes." Draco nodded and Blaise gave him a trade-marked smirk.

"Here's the plan: you get a the Wonder Boy tomorrow and I get to be first to know everything."

"First and last."

"Good."

8 8 8 8 8

It was morning and Harry awoke to see an empty dorm room. He was alone and so he walked downstairs. Sitting on a couch was Crookshanks, Hermione's cat. It looked at him and meowed before walking to the other end of the couch it'd been lying on.

"Morning," Harry spun to see Draco standing against the inside the portal in. Harry relaxed immediately and smiled.

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"It was a lucky guess. It's an hour into the first class of the day. That means, there are another three hours before anyone even comes near here again."

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked over the blonde. He was looking particularly delicious that day in stone washed jeans and a tight black tee-shirt.

"What are you proposing Malfoy?"

"What do you think?" Malfoy walked to him and pressed his lips to Harry's.

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	11. KISSING! it makes you pregnant!

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"It was a lucky guess. It's an hour into the first class of the day. That means, there are another three hours before anyone even comes near here again."

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked over the blonde. He was looking particularly delicious that day in stone washed jeans and a tight black tee-shirt.

"What are you proposing Malfoy?"

"What do you think?" Malfoy walked to him and pressed his lips to Harry's.

8 8 8 8 8

Harry stumbled back a little at the sudden contact, his eyes widened and then slid shut so he could enjoy the tingle running through his fingers. He felt the blonde's hands slid up into his hair and he gasped against the boy's lips as his fingers slid through the follicles, delivering tiny shocks of pleasure. Harry put an arm around Malfoy, pulling him flush against his chest.

The broke for a second and looked into each other's eyes, there was a heat buried under the mercury color of Malfoy's eyes that Harry wanted to see fully exposed. Their noses were touching and in the second their lips were parted they felt the agonizing heat that had filled the room during the short kiss.

Harry questioned this briefly before putting his lips back on top of Draco's. The blonde responded by parting his lips slightly and letting his tongue snake out and run over the WonderBoy's bottom lip. Harry groaned at the sensation, matched with Draco's continued toying with his hair and opened his lips, sliding out his tongue to touch the blonde's.

The two tongues made contact and a shock of heat rushed through the entire castle, torches lit and candles melted into puddles of wax instantly and parchment in classrooms closer to the tower caught on fire. Students felt dazed and fainted at the heat, suddenly dehydrated.

Draco and Harry were only aware of the giddy feeling they got from the contact. Draco smiled against the kiss and felt Harry's soft hands slid under his shirt to his lower back. A soft but noticeable swell of wind passed by the window. Draco groaned as Harry's hands slid under his belt to press against the flesh of his ass and he felt himself straining against the once roomy jeans. A larger wind went by.

They disengaged their mouths to look at each other.

"How far are we willing to go so soon?" Draco asked, wondering more if he could handle it after his summer.

"I…I think we should wait for awhile, until we know more about each other and-" Harry was stopped by the common room door bursting open. Dumbledore, sweating and panting followed by Snape and McGonaggle looking similarly distressed.

At this sight the two boys jumped back from each in pure shock, but both immediately felt the ache. The Headmaster breathed heavily and looked between them, slightly confused. The two observed their Professors and slowly became aware of the extreme heat in the room, the wall paper was peeling and metal torches were blazing.

"What is going on here?" Snape was first to speak.

"We-" but there was nothing to say.

"Come to my office, Severus, Minerva, go around and tell the teachers to open the windows and revive students. The day will carry on normally."

Harry and Draco walked out, passing their teachers quickly, not meeting their eyes. They walked next to each other, not daring to look one another in the eye. The ache was intense, being so close without contact, Draco, being used to getting what he wanted, made the move to take Harry's hand in his. Harry took Draco's and there was a spike in heat.

Dumbledore whirled around and widened his eyes. "Don't touch each other." He said warningly, making them drop the other's hand instantly.

They made it to the Headmaster's office without further incident. The two were directed to chairs a few feet apart from each other and made sure not to touch, though they desperately wanted to.

"What were you two doing in Gryffindor tower?"

"I was protecting the dorms from a Slytherin raid, there was a rumor around last night at dinner about it." Harry said.

"I was there to raid."

"That's not what I meant. Just now, what were you two doing?"

There was silence and they glanced briefly at each other, putting in effort to break eye-contact quickly. "Kissing." Harry said quietly.

"What?"

"Kissing. I kissed him, he kissed me." Malfoy said more loudly.

Dumbledore's eyes widened and Harry noticed. _Something he didn't know was coming? How rare_.

"Why?"

"I wanted to." Malfoy said, adopting a defensive attitude towards the situation.

"Did you know that a huge heat wave was emitted from the tower during the time you two were…kissing?"

"We noticed afterwards," Harry offered.

"Did you feel anything strange during the kiss?"

They both paused before nodding.

"What did you feel?"

"A tingle in my fingers and toes, like my heart wasn't beating enough to get blood there anymore." Harry said, looking at his digits.

"A giddy feeling, ignorance to everything else, elation," Malfoy added.

"I felt like my magic was open," Harry put in suddenly, thinking hard about it.

"Your magic?" Dumbledore looked startled at that.

"Yeah."

"How does that feel?" Draco asked.

"Like your powerful enough to do anything and as if your blood is sparking under your skin." Harry explained it.

"I felt that." Draco said, frowning a little.

Dumbledore stood and nearly ran to the fire place, he threw in some dust. "Srene? I need to speak with you in my office immediately, we may have a Match here."

A second later the DADA teacher was walking through the door, his darkly lined eyes looked over the two and widened slightly.

"A Match?" Harry asked, confused.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded.

"How do you know?" Srene asked, his accent was American but smooth and lightly German.

"Boys, would you mind…kissing?" Dumbledore asked them.

Looking a little nervous they stood and face each other, both were extremely aware of the eyes looking at them with interest. The ache in their hearts didn't care who was watching though and it overrode their nervousness and pulled their lips together.

As they touched a surge of wind blew out from their place, whipping through the room and upsetting many things. The longer they kissed the stronger the wind became, it was strong and fast before Dumbledore shouted for them to stop over the loud whistle.

The two broke apart and looked at Srene, who's dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

"We have a Match."

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	12. MATCHES FOR ALL!

MWAHAHAHA! YAY FOR REVIEWS! There are about 150 as it is, I think 200 would be incredible and make we sooooooo happy. I've never had such a well liked story. You're all awesome. hugs all around

throws candy and cookies and lumps of cake to reviewers

Eat and read!

8 8 8 8 8 8

As they touched a surge of wind blew out from their place, whipping through the room and upsetting many things. The longer they kissed the stronger the wind became, it was strong and fast before Dumbledore shouted for them to stop over the loud whistle.

The two broke apart and looked at Srene, who's dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

"We have a Match."

8 8 8 8 8

"A what?"

"A pair like this is very hard to come by," Srene barely even registered Harry had said anything, instead he moved to one side of the Headmaster's desk and began pensively running his fingers over a book end shaped like a lion.

"I know Christopher, what do you think we should do? I've never heard of this sort of Match," Dumbledore hesitantly motioned in their direction.

"I have," Srene mumbled and nodded, his brows furrowed as he thought. "We should quarantine them separately until we have a potion brewed to quell the Heart Strings."

"Do you think it wise? They're both very strong wizards and could easily return to each other if they wish it so," the Head Master shook his head.

"You wanted to know what we should do, Albus, don't ask my advice and then point its flaws out. At least keep the weaker of them at bay from the other."

"How?"

"Put the Malfoy heir in a dungeon, seal it up and then we wait. In a moon cycle the Heart String potion can be brewed. If they truly are Matched as perfectly as I think then it will be far sooner that they rejoin."

"I doubt Mister Malfoy would be comfortable in a dungeon. I won't sacrifice a students education and level of living for anything."

"Don't be a fool Albus, they won't be able to stay apart for more than seventy-two hours. If my assumptions are correct, that is. But put him or the other one there for now."

Dumbledore paused for a moment, looking just as old as he felt (which was rather old), he nodded. "Boys-"

"Bugger that, you tell me what the bloody fucking hell you're talking about or so help me Merlin I'll kill you both," Draco slammed his hands onto the desk and glared at the old man. He looked stunned and glanced at Srene.

"Mister Malfoy, sit down and we'll try to explain without…scaring you too much." Srene pushed him gently into the chair.

Harry took a deep breath and sat down as well, worried a little about what he meant.

"Explain yourselves," Malfoy raised the corner of his upper lip to snarl at the two men.

"You two are a Match."

A silence before:

"What is that, exactly?"

"The magic in your blood is different, altered…tainted if you will. It reacts strongly to other magic entering the system. So when you kiss, it creates contact between your magic. This caused the wind and heat." Srene said as if that was all that they would need.

"It could also cause other magical occurrences. One person with magic like yours is very rare, but two is even more so, but the fact that you've started a relationship causes you to be a Match." Dumbledore offered this at their silence.

Draco raised his eyebrows at the vampire, imploring him to go on.

"Most people only become Matched when they wed though ancient Wizard ceremonies, the exchange of blood for blood, temple to temple. But you two have strong magic and so blood need not be exchanged in order for you to cause combined forces of power." Srene said.

There was another silence.

"What does it mean?" Harry asked, shaking slightly.

"You have a combined magical power level that's never been seen before in the Wizarding world."

"But other Matches have existed before, what makes us so much more powerful?"

"You two are both young males, males normally have more vibrant or energetic magic, they're less controllable than females in general. You're more powerful because you are unrestrained." Srene explained.

"Oh." Harry nodded.

"What exactly are we tainted with?" Draco asked, his fingers curled into a fist, steeling himself for what Srene might say.

_Evil, you rat bastard. Because you're a sorry little rich rape victim. You're only with him because you got fucked angrily in Greece. Can't you see? Harry's run in when he was little tainted his magic, with Voldemort's. You're little run in with Bustronte tainted your magic with shame and filth. Serves you right don't it?_ Draco could here him answer. It was unreasonable, to think it mattered, that it changed things to much, but he didn't see that. All he saw was his own version of the Dark Mark, but this seemed so much worse than the Mark.

But instead Srene shook his head, "I can't tell you that."

"Why?" Malfoy's hand relaxed, relieved.

"It's not known just yet." Srene said, it was lie but the truth would make them hate each other. It just couldn't be known yet, not until their relationship was solid and deeper than just the pull of the Heart Strings.

"Boys, perhaps you two should go," Dumbledore moved to make them leave.

"I-" Malfoy started.

"Draco, let's just leave," Harry took his hand as he stood. Malfoy stopped and shot the two men a look. They joined hands and the temperature raised noticeably but not as dramatically as before.

"You two should be careful, people may become suspicious of what's happening." the Head Master warned them before letting them go.

The two climbed down the stairs. "Dumb shitter." Draco mumbled as they paused behind the entrance and say good-bye.

"Bye, we'll see each other in classes and the Great Hall," Harry offered, he felt the sad expression on his face and the ache in his heart.

"Maybe we could just stay in a tower forever and not come down or worry about it all."

"No, we have to fulfill our responsibilities to the Wizarding world."

"Speaking of that," Draco paused to fish something from his back pocket. A folded sheet of parchment. "Here, read it in private."

"Okay." Harry nodded and to the sheet.

"Bye." Draco kissed his lips softly for a second before pulling off and walking out.

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE OFFICE

"This can't end anyway but badly."

"Why do you say that Albus?"

"Two tainted young men in one school? They're dating for Merlin's sake!"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Srene asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Not the fact that their both young men, no, but that they are such a liability to my other students and fellow Professors. It's a terrible risk, neither is stable enough to handle the implications of their Matching."

"We'll slowly let them come to understand…saving the world is a heavy burden for young men in love to bear."

"For anyone to bear."

"True."

"At least Harry won't have to do it alone anymore."

There it is…a bit confusing? Yeah, I know…I don't want the whole thing to come out at once. YIPPEE! Review!


	13. Notes, cigarettes and yelling!

Harry walked to the painting of a bowl and fruit, he paused to tickle the pair and then entered, clutching the paper from Draco. Inside he seated himself at the small round table before the fire and waited only for a second to ask for a cup of cocoa and some éclairs.

"Here you is going sir," a small-headed house-elf set the things down and left.

He sat there for a moment, contemplating what the paper could say. Something to do with responsibilities to the Wizarding world? After about a half cup of cocoa, Harry unfolded the sheet and began to read.

_Harry,_

_I'm writing you this note at 2.42 in the morning. I got home about an three hours ago from a really bad opera in Berlin. It was about a girl who feel in love with her banished sister who'd come back dressed as a guy. Her sister was back to kill their father so she could return except then the girl walked in on the murder and then screwed their banished brother who was dressed as a women and who'd killed the sister dressed as a man. What a surprise it was to the girl, expecting your savior's vagina and ending up with your brother's penis. _

_It's August 27th by the way so you don't think I wrote this last night or anything. I don't know if I'll ever give this to you, I hope I do since I'm planning to say something important to you. _

_We kissed. _

_This stuns me in so many ways, I never thought of you as anything but my school nemesis before this. I don't think you ever thought of me as anything more, at least you never showed it. I'm writing this and I feel like my heart wants to break, it sounds sappy and weak and wretched I know, but it does. I don't get it and it kind of scares me but it's there. It's what made me kiss you and at first I thought that was all it was. But it isn't. I've been thinking non-stop about you and the more I think the more I want you. _

_It's addictive Harry. I've never _liked _anyone before, ever. Liking you is addictive. But you have to know that I'm still a Malfoy and that's a complex thing. I'm supposed to marry a pureblood witch Harry. I'm responsible for carrying on the most ancient of wizarding lines and if I fall for you what can I do? Whom do I betray? You or my ancestors? Is there some middle ground I'm missing? Is there some way out where I can do everything? I wish there was. _

_I also wish that all this didn't sound like the babbling of a twittering love-sick school girl or an angsty sap. This is very new to me Harry, kissing you and liking you. But I don't really care right now...all I care about right is you. _

_Draco_

Harry stared at the sheet for a moment. Reading the last paragraph over again he felt his own heart clench at the word love. _Is he in love with me? _Harry thought, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped slowly with the possibility. _Am I in love with him?_

"Harry?" Hermione was standing just inside the door with an empty plate, her eyes were wide and staring at him oddly. The Gryffindor jumped and blinked at her for a second.

"Hey herm, how are you?"

"I'm fine Harry, you looked like you were going to scream though. Are you okay?" Hermione walked over and sat next to him. Harry blinked a few times again and shook his head. Hermione looked at the note and raised an eyebrow, she reached out for it but Harry ripped it away from her.

"Why are you down here?" He asked, stuffing the note into his pant pocket.

"I was returning the plate Ron and I had gotten meat on for Care of Magical Creatures, we're feeding Richoflumps today. What was that paper?" Hermione frowned, looking over her friend.

"Nothing," Harry answered a little too quickly.

"Let me see then," Hermione held out her hand.

"No 'Mione, it's none of your business."

"Where have you been all day?"

"Watching Gryffindor Tower to make sure the Slytherins don't break in," Harry answered defensively.

"That's absurd, I but a hex on the portal so no Slytherin could enter, it they did they would have been turned gold."

"Good thing I stayed since it didn't work," Harry mumbled, sipping his cocoa.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Hermione."

"No, you said something, what was it?"

"Nothing Granger, lay off would you? Your like a nagging fly with a paranoia complex!" Harry stood up and walked out in a rush, slamming the door behind him.

Outside he ran right into Ron who was standing just outside.

"Hey mate, you look peeved, what's up?"

"Nothing, Hermione's being unreasonable and nosy," Harry shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"She's always like that mate. Why so high-strung?" Ron asked.

"I'm not high strung, just restless."

"Okay, how's the watch on the tower going?"

"Fine, nothing to report," Harry answered. He shrugged. "I'm heading back there, see you later."

8 8 8 8 8

"So, how'd it go with Hunky McHunkHunk?" Blaise asked, blowing a cloud of cigarette smoke into the air.

"Harry? It went fine, we kissed, we were interrupted by Dumbledork, McGonagall and Snape though. Headmaster had Srene come and they said Harry and I were a Match."

"A whu?" Blaise asked.

"A Match, the magic in our blood is tainted and when we touch it acts up. That's really all they said. Rather cryptic really." Draco took the drag away from his friend.

"A Match?" Draco inhaled on the cigarette.

"Yes, a Match." He spoke and exhaled the smoke.

"Weird," Blaise frowned and took another drag on the Wizard cigarette he was sharing with Draco.

"It is-was-will be. I'm not sure what tense to use anymore," Draco sighed and reached for the bottle of Whiskey they were also sharing, sitting back to back on the floor of Draco's dormitory.

"Why?"

"What the said was weird, what I feel is weird, what happens will be weird. It's all fucked up right now." Draco took a swig from the bottle.

"Not as much as it could be."

"How could it get worse?"

"You could be in love with him."

There was a silence.

"You're not in love with him are you?" Blaise asked, his voice sounded with worry.

"I don't know."

Draco felt stunned, unsure and a little light headed.

YAY!

AN: okay, people are asking about the title of Chapter 18 (Kissing! It makes you pregnant) wull my sister and I have a joke that we say kissing makes you pregnant and I put it in there…

But this will NOT be mpreg, sorry, they will have children together but neither will be carrying the child. That will come later though. I hope you liked the chapter, sorry about the title of 18 and the confusion it brought. hides face in shame

review please!


	14. DREAMS OF KISSING!

OK! Chapter 21 yay!

Remember 200 review goal!

"How could it get worse?"

"You could be in love with him."

There was a silence.

"You're not in love with him are you?" Blaise asked, his voice sounded with worry.

"I don't know."

Draco felt stunned, unsure and a little light headed.

Blaise turned around to get a good look at Draco, he frowned heavily and watched his life-friend's eyes as they stared blankly into space.

"Drake? Darlin' you need to get a grip of your Malfoy-ness, snap out of it," Blaise shook him by the shoulders.

"Blaise?"

"Yeah?" Blaise felt desperately protective of the gorgeous blonde and scared for what might happen.

"I think I may be in love with him," Draco sensed his stomach clench in either fear or something else, he wasn't sure in his slightly inebriated state.

8 8 8 8 8 8

"I think I may want to kill him," Hermione said, her upper lip curled back and she look murderous in the fire-light. Ron and Harry were playing chess while she was working on something.

"Who?" Ron asked, taking one of Harry's pawns.

"Mal-ferret."

Harry turned sharply to glare at her, "Why?" he asked in a voice as close to normal as he could manage.

"He humiliated me and I just found out that the hex I put on the common room was disable and I just know he did it."

"Nothing was taken though," Ron said, looking around. "Harry?"

"I didn't see anyone all day."

"Maybe the hex didn't work," Ron offered.

"Ron, I performed the hex, of course it worked."

"You're getting a little over confident there Hermione, maybe it did fail," Harry said smugly, taking Ron's bishop.

"I don't fail at anything Harry Potter, and for your information, I am not over confident in the least." Hermione stood and gathered her things. She huffed at them both and left to the girl's dorms.

"Girl's are batty." Ron said as he made the winning move.

"Yeah," Harry nodded in agreement.

"Let's go to bed."

8 8 8 8 8

_"Harry?" Draco's voice called through the halls. Harry found himself standing outside the Gryffindor common room in his pajamas._

_"What? Draco? Where are you?" Harry began to walk away from the Fat Lady, searching for his Draco._

_"I can't see you," Draco called back from his place far off._

_"Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, but…are we awake or dreaming?"_

_"I don't know," Harry answered, he found that he could hear Draco perfectly well without him having to shout and vice versa._

_Harry reached the Great Hall and saw the door were open. There were bubbles drifting lazily from inside, in each bubble was a candle and a pinch of glitter floating around. Harry walked over and looked into the hall and saw a huge group of people dancing the waltz in Renaissance outfits and masques. By the door, just a little inside and on the floor he saw Draco standing his black silk pajamas that were a little too large. He look innocent and beautiful, the shoulder of the silk shirt had slid down and exposed some of his collar bone and shoulder, the sleeves hung down over his hands which held a green comforter. His bare feet stuck out just a little from beneath his pajama bottoms and his hair was lying just so he looked recently woken._

_"What is this?"_

_"I don't know, but it's beautiful," Draco smiled and looked back over his shoulder at the people dancing._

_"You are," Harry walked to him and wrapped his arms around the blonde. Draco looked a little surprised by this and turned to face the other boy, his face just a few inches below Harry's._

_"I was talking about the masque."_

_"I was talking about you," Harry smiled at him and lent down to press his lips against the blonde's._

_Immediately the Great Hall began spinning, the dancers were blurred and soon disappeared into a whirl of color. It faded into a dark void, the stood on an unseen plane still kissing and as they did a few of the bubbles formed through the plane at their feet. These drifted around them in a circle casting a soft light for them._

_"What are we?" Harry asked as they broke apart._

_Draco looked a little nervous as he grasped for an answer. "I'm not sure. You got my note, right?"_

_"Yeah and, it sounds like a lot of what I feel but couldn't really say properly."_

_"We like each other then…a lot."_

_"Definitely."_

_"We want something but…" Draco let his words drift off, he didn't know what to do with them anymore._

_"What are we?"_

_A moments silence and then Draco spoke. "We're a Match, whatever that is."_

_"A Match."_

_And Harry pressed his lips to Draco's again. The Great Hall returned to view and when he opened his eyes he saw the cold grey stone and dark shadows around the Hall. The house tables were set against the wall and the head table sat there at the front of the Hall. Harry frowned and felt the cold of the air around him, he was in the actual Great Hall._

He was awake.

But pressed against his chest, in his arms was the Slytherin Prince, his cheek to Harry's chest and their arms wrapped around each other.

"Draco?"

"What?"

"We're awake."

Draco lifted his head and looked around, immediately feeling the cold through his pajamas and noticing his comforter at his feet.

"We are."

"Did anything happen when we kissed?" Harry looked around the Hall for any clues.

Malfoy shrugged and put an arm around Harry, pressing himself against the other boy. "What do you say to spending the rest of the night in the Astronomy Tower and not going to classes tomorrow morning?"

Harry pondered for a moment and then nodded, loving the feeling of the other boy pressed against him.

Draco picked up his comforter and the two walked up the tower, holding hands the whole way, smiling as if at a secret joke.

_I think I love you, Harry._

_I think I love you, Draco. _

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heehee! Review!


	15. BOOM BOOM!

Review!

Harry laid himself down on the floor of the tower, looking out at the sky and the moon and he considered telling Draco what he'd realized just a few moments ago on their way up.

"Hey, look at Adrian," Draco was standing at the ledge of the balcony and looking down at the school grounds.

"Where?" Harry hauled himself up and walked over to see.

"Just there, by the giant's hut," Malfoy pointed to where Adrian was standing in the moonlight talking to someone.

"Who's he with?"

"It looks like…wait," Draco walked over to a telescope and aimed it at the pair. "he's talking to Srene, they're practically giggling Harry, take a look."

Harry put his eye to the scope and saw Adrian was leaning against a tree and smiling with his arms folded over his chest, one leg crossed over the other. Srene was standing there looking far less imposing than normal in a pair of jeans and a black trench coat. He was smiling and his dark hair swung loosely into his eyes and he had his hands in his pockets. It looked like they had just come back from something.

"What do you think they could be doing?" Harry asked, standing up straight.

"I don't have a clue," Draco leant over the edge and squinted at them. He gasped and nearly fell. "They kissed!" he pointed eagerly at the duo in the distance.

"What!" Harry looked through the telescope and indeed he saw them embraced and kissing.

"I thought he would never get over Joseph," Draco smiled and looked over at Harry.

"Who?"

"His old boyfriend got killed by a muggle in a pub brawl," Draco said.

"Oh."

_I want him dead._

Harry's head jerked back and he looked around the room for the source of the words.

"Harry?"

"Did you hear that?"

"No."

_I'll kill him slowly, won't take too long at all._

"I heard that." Draco turned sharply and looked into the shadows.

"We have to leave," Harry took Mafloy's hand. "Come on."

"No, wait…look there." Draco pointed into the shadows. Harry squinted and saw the shape of a snake like creature.

"What is it?"

"A Nyolo I think."

"What's that?"

"A psychic form of python, they live in equatorial South America though, how did one so big get all the way to England?" Draco approached it slowly.

_Back away beast!_

"Wait, come into the light, we just want to get you back to where you came from."

_The forest?_

"Which forest?" Harry asked, coming up beside Draco.

_There_. It used its huge tail to indicate to the Forbidden Forest. Draco frowned and glanced out.

"Do you know how you got there?"

_Men, twenty or more, carried me in a great crate from my jungle territory which has no doubt been taken by some haughty wench._

Harry realized the snake was a female then as it slithered into the light and its forked tongue flickered in and out. Over each eye was a large set of thick and curled eye lashes and a plume of white feathers was attacked the base of the head. Along her back ran a row and spines colored gold and blue, her tail was forked in three, each one a different color.

"Why did they bring you here?"

_To kill you._

Draco gasped and jumped back from the snake, it hissed angrily and lunged for him. The snake slithered towards Harry, who jumped back as well, glancing between the creature and Draco, it was backing him to the ledge. Readying an attack.

Harry sucked in breath and raced forward, he tackled Draco and they flew off the tower, plummeting to the ground. Behind them the snake lunged off as well, darting through the air after them. Harry held the blonde in his arms and closed his eyes, aiming his own back to the ground.

"Harry!" Draco screamed over the wind rushing by their ears.

Harry opened his emerald eyes and looked the other boy. He seemed to glow with the moon behind him. "Kiss me!" Draco commanded.

Harry did and immediately felt an ease in the pull of gravity, he kissed the blonde harder and the pressure of falling decreased.

The Nyolo sped past them through the air and plummeted with a sickening crack into the ground. Harry opened his eyes and realized they were suspended in air. The around them was thick with magic, supporting them from falling. He removed his lips from Draco's and the two looked around them, confused, the magic began slowly going the remained hundred meters to the ground. It dissipated as they touched down and Harry felt light-headed. A light flickered on in a window, then another and another, it continued until the whole castle was alive with torch light. The two frowned as they heard a loud racket coming from inside.

Harry rushed with the Slytherin to the front doors, inside they saw the entire castle had come alive with magic. The staircases, walls, magic doors, passages and objects were in full motion. Staircases flew from one place to another, barely missing as they went past one another. Walls crashed across hallways and expanded and shrank, changed angles and disappeared again. The statues were marching in place, banging their speared against their shields, turning their heads from side to side. Portraits were buzzing and it sounded like similar difficulties were occurring all over the school.

Amazed, the two froze at the doors, looking at the frenzied castle.

"Boys!" Srene rushed up behind them, his dark eyes widened at what he saw, Adrian came up behind him.

"Bleedin' hell! What'd you two do? There's a Nyolo done exploded on the lawn and the castle gone bonkers!" Adrian said, motioning vaguely towards where the snake had hit.

"We-"

"Can we get to the headmaster's?" Srene asked, looking down that hall, filled with rampaging walls and armor.

"I don't know, we could try, it's take some skill though." Adrian shrugged, observing the hall with doubt.

"Can he get to us?"

"Probably not. I doubt anyone will get anywhere until this magic surge settles down, with how it's wearing itself out, that won't take but a few hours."

"What did you two do?"

"Yeah, why's there a Nyolo dead on the lawn?" Adrian added in.

"We…"

"We were going to spend the night in the Astronomy Tower but the Nyolo was up there. We jumped off the tower, it followed us and we kissed in air and didn't die," Malfoy said defensively.

"That's what caused the magic surge," Srene nodded in understanding.

"?" Adrian looked between the three in confusion.

"They're a Match." Srene informed him.

"A Match, like in reference to those with tainted magic?" Adrian's eyebrows shot up as the DADA teacher nodded.

Above them suddenly two stair cases crashed into each other with a deafening crash. Dust, stone and mortar rained down into the hall and smashed a suite of armor. Srene and Adrian watched as the partially destroyed stair cases slowed to a stop right in the path of the other moving stairways.

"Stop them!" Adrian yelled.

"PARALYSUM!" Srene shouted, his wand raised towards them.

The stair cases rushed past, barely missing the two stopped ones, the spell having no affect.

"I can't," Srene shook his head, his fangs showing as he snarled. "Boys?" Srene looked at them.

Draco breathed in deeply and took Harry's hand. "We can't let any more damage done to the school, if it happens we're in danger of loosing each other."

"Got it." Harry nodded and concentrated on the hand in his. He felt the sensation of magic rushing through him. It took a moment but he sensed a heartbeat matching his, Draco's, and he could sense Draco's magic matching his own. Harry closed his eyes and when he opened them the castle was still and there was the noise of students coming out of their Common Rooms. Harry felt inexplicably stronger, more awake, alive. It was the magic they had absorbed out of the castle again.

"Nice work boys." Srene nodded.

"Get your arses back to your Common Rooms before people notice you're standing around holding hands!" Adrian shoved them in opposite directions.

"Bye." Draco whispered and rushed into the black shadows to the right.

"Bye." Harry nodded and went up the stairs.

Srene turned to look at the red-haired man next to him. "This is going to be a bit complex."

"They'll get over it." Adrian smirked and planted a kiss on Srene's lips before turning and disappearing into the shadows outside. Leaving the vampire in the light of the entrance hall.

XOXOXOXOXOXO! REVIEW, 200 remember!


	16. ANGRY BEAVER'S ATTACKING ATTRACIVE SLYTH...

It was early the next morning when the obvious anger Hermione had came to a head. They were walking down to class when Blaise accidentally nudged her shoulder, it seemed to be on accident too, he was walking with Pansy in the opposite direction when he made some comment that caused her too push him lightly just as he passed the angry brown-haired girl. Their shoulders contacted her eyes lit with fury.

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME ZABINI! 100 points from Slytherin for attacking a prefect!" The whole crowd looked stunned, from Blaise, Pansy, Millicent and Theodore Nott to the Gryffindors with Hermione. Seamus, Dean, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Padma and the Creevy brothers all turned to look at her with shock.

"What are you talking about Granger?" Blaise asked, his eyes trailed over the group behind her, either sizing them up for a fight and weighing his options or looking for support.

"You hit me!" She screamed, her finger jabbed in his direction accusingly.

"When?" Pansy asked, frowning.

"Just now!" She growled, flinging her arm to the space she'd been seconds before.

"Look, Granger, I didn't hit you or didn't mean to, sorry," Blaise decided to try and drop the subject.

"Another 50 points for disregarding my authority and a month of detention." Hermione said, she stopped shouting but now adopted a look of superiority.

"What!" the Slytherins whirled around and Blaise looked mightily peeved.

"You're being completely biased, these accusations are without ground and you have not right to dish out this sort of crap, especially not to me."

"Is that a challenge of my authority?" Hermione asked, sounding rather cruel.

"No, it's a challenge of your punishment and ethics in dealing with other students." Blaise corrected her, he sneered in the way only a Slytherin could. Harry saw Ron's eyelids flutter as Zabini did this and he didn't know why. Ron stepped up and took Hermione's shoulder. "Lay off 'Mione, you're not making any sense."

"RON! As my fellow prefect I think you'd support me of anyone here." Hermione rounded on him. "Not when you're being a wicked bitch." Ron said, shaking his head. Hermione let out a scream and slapped him.

"Don't you dare touch him." Blaise stamped his foot.

"What are you going to do about it, you little Slytherin shit?"

Blaise's face contorted in anger and he walked up, right into Hermione's face, he was only a few inches taller than her and he slapped her.

She gasped and turned purple with anger, reminding Harry very much of his uncle. "You can't hit me, I'm a girl!"

"You're a wretched little wench is what you are. I'm more of a lady than you are Granger, so shut up and deal with getting hit back. Don't expect that having a vagina makes me think twice about slapping you again." Blaise sneered and grabbed Ron's wrist and began walking away. Ron looked a little relived to be taken away from the mess and Harry fleetingly wondered why he wasn't beating the Slytherin away with a stick.

_Is there something there?_ Harry questioned silently.

"You!" Hermione rounded on him. Harry was taken aback and stepped away from her.

"What?"

"Why didn't you support me, defend me?"

"You were in the wrong Hermione," Harry said, slightly nervous with their close range.

"No I was not!" She screamed and looked ready to slap him.

"Yeah you were." Seamus spoke up. A sound of agreement spread through the crowd. Pansy was glancing between where Blaise disappeared to and the Gryffindor group. Theo and the other Slytherins were beginning to leave, wanting no part in Granger's next fit.

"Hey, Potter," Pansy called to him.

Hermione whirled around to scream at Pansy but stopped when she saw her standing with her wand out.

"Yeah?"

"You and the gang are going to be late, I'm a prefect, I'll take care of her for you." Pansy motioned to Hermione.

"Uhm, thanks," Harry nodded and led the group quickly down the hall.

Harry sat at Lunch not having seen Hermione that whole day and picked at his chicken, he was a little worried for her but mostly thought she deserved it. He looked up as the door entered to see Draco walk in with Blaise, they were talking about something and seemed very caught up in their conversation.

He sat there, talking to Neville when he remembered there was a Quidditch game the next day, Saturday, between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. He smiled and discussed possible outcomes with the other Sixth Year boys until Ron showed up, slightly disgruntled looking and a little roughed up.

"Ron? What happened to you, mate?" Harry moved up to make room for his friend.

"Nothing, I," he paused, "I just fell down some stairs."

"Oh." Harry gave him a look requesting he be informed later and Ron nodded his consent.

There was a strange scream and Hermione ran into the Great Hall, she looked wild and outraged, her eyes narrowed dangerously and trained on Pansy, then Draco. She huffed, quelling her rage and stalked over to the Gryffindor table, a section of which was immediately vacated for her private use. Harry could smell the Forbidden Forest on her from where she sat a few empty spots down.

What had Parkinson done?

"So, how have you been?" Ron asked Harry.

"Fine, we just had History of Magic, which you weren't there for might I add. So I got my nap in for the day." Ron laughed and a sudden tension settled on them. They turned and saw Hermione glaring at them dangerously.

"I think I'll be going to the library," she announced since she had their attention, she got up and left immediately, watched by most of the school. Harry didn't notice the Blaise and Draco had left just a moment earlier. Ron had though.

"I have to go too." Ron jumped up and Harry went after him.

"What's going on Ron?"

"Malfoy and Zabini left just before Hermione."

A deep sense of protectiveness settled in Harry's stomach and he followed the girl and Ron towards the library. He saw Draco's blonde head disappear behind a book case and saw Hermione walking carefully towards that area, then she drew her wand.

"GRANGER!" Harry ran into the open.

She spun around and fired a stunning spell at him. "Sorry Harry, but I have to teach the Slytherins to respect me." She sounded like petite little Hermione just trying to make things right. Harry dodged the spell and drew his own wand. She turned around the corner and pointed her wand at the people down the aisle.

Ron pulled out his wand and fired at her but she moved behind the case. She opened her mouth and shouted a spell to make them green and hideous. Harry felt a surge of magic come from him and race the spell to Draco, like a shield around the blonde it ricocheted off and hit Hermione square in the chest. Harry raced over her twitching form to Draco and lifted the panting and witless boy off the ground.

"I thought she was going to kill us, Harry," Draco said quietly, he sighed and curled his finger into a fist against Harry's chest where he was being held. Ron ran down the aisle and picked Blaise up of the floor and hugged him close. Draco looked shocked at Blaise and Ron and Harry exchanged kind of sheepish looks of surprise.

"What's happened here?" Dumbledore looked between the boys and Hermione.

"Uhm…"

Okay, I have over 200 reviews and it's incredibly gratifying because they're mostly happy reviews. I'm really excited and I'm glad you like the story, this is going somewhere I swear! HAHA!

I love you mak mak! throws candy to reviewers Happy Spring Break!

XOXO! -FireStorm


	17. Quidditch Match and sneaking away

"What's going on here?"

"Uhm…"

Harry made it to the Quidditch game the next day, Harry was nearly asleep, it seemed it was going to take a few hours before the game made any progress. He was standing with Ron, in an awkward silence, neither one really wanting to address what had happened yesterday. Looking towards the Slytherin stands nearby, Harry saw how utterly bored his Match seemed to be, standing between Blaise and Pansy. Harry thought over what had happened yesterday, how Draco had reacted to finding out Ron and Blaise were together.

Hermione's facial expression contorted as she looked at the four boys. Her left eye twitched once before she turned to Dumbledore. "Should we do this in your office?"

"Yes, I think so," the Headmaster nodded to her and he led the five out towards his office, the moment they entered the hall all contact ceased. Blaise and Draco walked by each other, muttering in French while Harry and Ron walked in silence a few paces behind them.

"Sugar Leprechauns."

Hermione turned over her shoulder and sneered at them, her eyes narrowing in a glare. Harry sat between Ron and Draco, Blaise on the other side of the Slytherin Prince.

"What happened in the Library?"

"Hermione was going to attack Draco and Blaise." Harry said quickly.

"She was, the crazy little beaver took a hundred and fifty points earlier today, claiming I attacked her when I did no such thing. She's been out for us all day, especially Draco since the Opening Feast."

"Why?"

"He won a bet and made her toast to the health of the Slytherins." Ron put in.

"Does she know about…?" Dumbledore directed this question to Harry.

"No, not that I know."

"Good, do these two?"

"He does," Draco nodded to Blaise.

"Ron doesn't." Harry shook his head.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, looking over them all.

"Nothing Ms. Granger."

"What. Is. It?" She ground out the words slowly.

"Nothing Ms. Granger. Please leave, I must speak with the young men, alone."

"Oh, I see how it is. Sexist pig!" Hermione got pissed off and threw the vase near her arm towards the boys. It smashed at Draco's feet and the blonde gasped and jumped back.

"Are you okay?" Harry grabbed his hand, not thinking about it.

Hermione's eyes bugged out. "YOU DIRTY LITTLE MAN WHORE! I'll tell the world about this! You'll see! Everyone will know your secret! Everyone!" She glared hard. "How could you betray Gryffindor like this? You're going to the Dark Side Potter!"

Harry became aware of a magic surge from his connection with Draco and his heart churned with anger not his own.

"Don't you dare talk to him like that you Beaver-faced book-worm!"

Draco stood and snarled at her, his mercury eyes seemed to swirl like storm clouds. Hermione saw this and backed up a step. "Why are you so defensive of him, Mal-ferret?"

"He's my Match Granger."

Harry felt Draco's magic surge through the air, and he felt his own open up with it, even though they weren't touching, his magic was pulsing. Hermione let out a gasp and moved away from them. "You-you two are-you're the ones."

"Yeah, and you just pissed me off." Draco walked over to her, his magic crackling in the air, meeting Harry's.

"Mr. Malfoy! Hold onto your composure!" Dumbledore rushed over and pulled him back, separating the two. "We must keep Ms. Granger from remembering this meeting, she cannot know, especially since she is at odds with you four, she is liable to use the information against us all."

There was a silence that met him, Draco and Harry regained their magic and Draco seated himself next to his Match again. "Do it."

"_Memorus Initarum,_" Dumbledore caught her off-guard with the charm and her eyes went dull. "Leave Ms. Granger, there's nothing more we need."

"So…Ron and Blaise?" Harry turned his head towards them after she'd gone.

"Yeah, for a few days now."

"School's only been in session for a few days." Draco pointed out, eyeing them curiously.

"That too." Blaise smiled and moved a few strands of hair so he wouldn't have to look at his life-friend.

"Blaise…?" Draco gave him a look.

"I didn't tell you since you were so giddy about Harry and we were working so damn hard with everything and…I didn't think you would care too much, but he is a Gryffindor and your bloke's best friend. You might have felt your territory was being threatened."

Draco chuckled and shook his head, he stood and Blaise hugged him. "I don't care too much, I don't get it, but I suppose I'm not worried…if he swears to treat you like a lady."

"I do." Ron nodded, taking Blaise's hand. "Harry?"

"It's fine by me, not like my situation's any different." The boys laughed and didn't notice the Head Master's dark eyes searching them over thoughtfully.

Harry smirked to himself and slowly slid back in the crowd and crawled under the stands and over towards where the snakes nested. He reached the area just behind where his Match was standing.

"PSSST! Draco!" Malfoy cocked an ear towards him and watched from the corner of his eye.

"What the hell are you doing under the Slytherin bleachers?"

"You wanna get outta here?"

"Yes, but where are we going to go?"

"Hogsmeade, we've got the rest of the day. Come on, please?" Harry did his best helpless face. Malfoy rolled his eyes and slid under the stands as well.

"Did something happen between you and the guy dating my best friend?"

"Yes," Harry nodded and led the blonde out of the stands and towards the trail leading to the village.

"Tell me about it," Draco moved to walk next to him.

Harry rubbed his hands together, attempting to make them warmer. "It's just awkward, we didn't tell each other and now it's a little like we don't know what to tell each other at all. Plus he's really new to dating anyone and doesn't really know what he's doing, he's worried, if he breaks up with Blaise, they'll be the feuding best friends of a Match like us."

"I see, well, we'll have to make sure they work well together." Draco reached down and took Harry's hand in his own, immediately warming them both.

They reached the Three Broomsticks and found a table to sit at. Madame Rosmerta served them butterbeer and had a strangely large smile on her face, though it was nervous as she looked at Draco.

"So, what do you think will come of Hermione's evil spastica?"

"The fight? I don't know, she has it out for you and the Slytherins, she's a bad enemy and…well, it worries me to be honest. What if she tries something? Tries to hurt you or Blaise or any of the other Slytherins?"

"We'll let her know who not to mess with." Harry didn't look convinced. "What if I call a meeting and tell all Slytherins to travel in packs of two or three at least, for safety against a prefect on the loose?"

"That would be good, thanks," Harry nodded and smiled. "I just want my snake to be safe."

"Oh, your snake?" Draco smirked and leaned over their small, dark corner table and planted a kiss on Harry's lips. "We'll see who owns who at the end of all this."

It was Harry's turn to smirk and he turned his head and saw Hagrid at the bar dinking with Madam Rosmerta and flirting outrageously. He looked around the bar and saw people talking with their friends, lovers and families. It was a warm place and Harry felt warm inside, just in the presence of his snake.

Mother-the police

Mother mother-tracey bottom

Joan Jett- Crimson and Clover


	18. A bonus chapter cuz i'm really bad

I'm the worst author ever, I've been so inconsiderate to you guys. shame no real excuse, just take this chapter and enjoy it, please.

It wasn't until nine o'clock that they rushed back through the main doors of the school, giggling like school children and hushing each other loudly. They got inside and slipped, stumbled rather, into a shadowed corner.

"Draco, we have to get to bed," Harry let out a breath of air.

"What if we get caught?" Draco asked, wrapping his hand around Harry's scarlet and gold tie and pulling him closer.

They'd drunk quite a bit of butterbeer and even a pair of lime shots on dares. Without inhibitions of the daylight on sobriety, Harry leant in the extra inch or two and pressed his lips to his Match's with abandon. His insides warmed and the tingling sensation came into his digits, something shifted behind them and they fell through the wall into a tiny, unused classroom.

Draco made a little noise as he hit the ground and Harry landed on top of him, but they were crushed together and neither minded really. The wall slid back and the passing ghost knew nothing of it.

Inside the classroom, a window let moonlight in on the patch of floor near where Draco lay with Harry on top of him. Their lips pressed together and hands holding each other through many layers of clothes. Harry climbed off his Match and paused, hearing Draco let out a little laugh and roll into the patch of moonlight. It was incredible, Draco sat there with his legs under him, taking off his heavy jacket and the moon hit his pale hair and he looked so much more than human. And Harry was sober again, the alchohal seemed to have drained from him, his joviality was replaced by awe at the snake.

He turned his white haired head and saw Harry sitting half in shadows and noticed the expression on the other boy's face.

"Harry?" Draco frowned and sensed his own sobriety again, confused his set his gloves down on top of his coat. Harry breathed out and crawled into the light, he reached out with his gloved hand and cupped Draco's cheek, still awed.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Draco asked frowning slightly

"Shh," Harry silenced him and moved closer, he felt a warmth in the room and recognized the presence of their magic. "You're so beautiful."

"I-" Draco was stunned, no one called him beautiful, he'd known himself to be attractive, or course, but…beautiful?

_He doesn't realize he's the first one to say it._ Draco thought, still stunned.

_How can he be so…wondrously gorgeous? _Harry moved closer yet to the blonde. Draco breathed out and felt a tingle against his cheek and then the warm skin of Harry's hand. The glove was…it was gone.

Harry didn't notice, he leant in and placed a kiss to his Match's lips and they both felt the magic sparkle in the air around them, like glitter from starlight it rested. It was not fierce or churning like many times before, not hot or needy but….it was soft and careful. Pleading and in love, the magic itself seemed to be in love.

Harry pulled his lips back for a second and stared into the dark gray eyes that were staring into his.

"I am so completely in love with you." Harry said, not even realizing he said it.

"What?"

Harry slipped out of his awed state. "I-I'm in love with you." He repeated it.

"You are?" Draco looked stunned.

"Yeah, I am."

Draco hadn't heard such a thing from anyone. He was nervous but he sensed the magic swirl like a breeze and he recognized that he felt the same thing for Harry.

"I love you too." Draco murmured and put his hand on Harry's shoulder and pulled him forward. Harry smiled and kissed the other boy with joy.

"Let's sleep here tonight," Draco whispered as they pulled away from each other.

"I-"

"Just lay with me." Draco blushed at Harry's assumption and they went to the area beneath the window and lay down on the heavy coats, wrapping up in cloaks.

"Draco?" Blaise quirked an eyebrow as his friend seated himself at the table the next morning for breakfast.

"Yes?"

"You disappeared yesterday."

"Did I?"

"Where were you?"

"I don't know what you mean Blaise, I was in the potion's room the whole day after the game."

"Really? Then who won?"

"Hmm? The match? Ravenclaw won."

Blaise gave him a look. "What was the score?"

"Really Blaise, interrogating me before I've eaten, rather rude don't you think? Besides, I didn't pay that much attention to the match."

"You'll be in the Library today around ten?" Blaise asked.

"I expect so."

"Good."

Blaise fully intended to find out what happened then, and Draco knew it too.

OVER AT THE GRYFFINDOR TABLE

"Hey Harry." Ron moved over to let his friend in beside him.

"Morning Ron," Harry sat down and took a pile of hash-browns from the bowl.

"Where were you yesterday?" Ron asked in a whisper.

"What?"

"You just disappeared."

"I didn't notice." Harry shrugged.

Ron rolled his eyes and pressed on. "Where'd you go?"

"I was probably just around, you must not have seen me."

Trying to think of what to ask to get the information noticed Blaise, they'd decided to meet at ten in the library, and he wouldn't mind Harry there for a few minutes.

"Will you be around the library at ten?"

"That sounds right." Harry nodded.

"Good."

Ron intended to find out what was happening between his best friend and the snake. But Harry knew that.

Ok, I'll try really hard to get another chapter up by next week. Sorry again.

Firestorm


	19. In the library later that day

"I've got a project on faerie dust, can you show me where to find books on it?" Draco spoke to the librarian.

She quirked one thin eyebrow but pointed. "Aisle 17, halfway down, seventh shelf up, that's where you'll find them."

"Thank you ma'am," Draco nodded. He walked there and waited for a second before Blaise appeared at the other end.

"Okay, you bastard, I want to know everything." Blaise came up next to him.

"So, we went to Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks and drank butterbeer for a few hours." Draco said. He smiled and continued. "We were a little drunk when we got back here and snogged really briefly in the Entrance Hall before we ended up in an unused classroom."

Blaise gasped.

"Then…well, he ended up in this moonlight and he was so gorgeous I, I told him that I love him." Harry said to Ron, who was sitting next to him, leaning over the Potion's book to hear his friend. Ron gasped and gave him an awed look.

"Do you? Really?"

"I really, really do." Harry nodded.

"So, our magic was just, it was beautiful and he called me beautiful and, well, we just sort of laid there in the moonlight until we fell asleep together." Draco smiled and his cheeks turned a slight pink.

"He said that he loves you?"

"Yes, he did."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a drunken lie?" Blaise asked nervously.

"It was like the alcohol just drained out of us, really odd but, it did."

"You two must be a really powerful Match. I've been reading up on them you know."

"Have you?"

"Yes, it turns out that Matches are the most powerful force in the wizarding world. More so than mates, you know Veela mates or Elven mates."

"What else do you know?"

"Not a lot of information exists on the subject, it's a taboo subject to talk about and even more rarely considered real."

"Really?" Draco frowned. "How do they know Harry and I are really a Match?"

"It's in the magic."

Draco nodded. "Go talk to your boyfriend, Blaise, I know he's here."

Blaise blushed and went to find the Gryffindor. Draco also knew that Harry was in the library, they hadn't planned it, but he could sense the other boy. He stood there for a second before reaching up and taking down a book on the opposing shelf. Its title was printed in fading gold letters that had been rubbed away after many years. There was a "d" with a couple indiscernible letters then "ry" and a space with flecks of gold before "Lo" and a space of faded letters. Then the numbers behind it "1950-57", Draco didn't know what it meant but he took it down and opened it to the first gold trimmed page.

"_Diary of Lukas "Lo" Canes during his years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 1950-1957." _Immediately interested, Draco turned to see the first entry, dated in September it was from his first year.

_1 September, 1950_

_We arrived at Hogwarts School and were taken across the lake by a thin man they call Schouster. He's the Ground's Keeper and Flying Teacher. In my compartment on the way here I sat with a gorgeous girl named Annaliese Muero, she says she's betrothed to a third year called Malfoy but perhaps she can get out of it, she doesn't like him, even though he's a real bad-boy and a good looking one at that. _

_I met him, Dartannian "Dart" Malfoy, Slytherin Keeper and Prince of Evil. He came into our compartment, where I was sitting with Anna, Johnny and Mikal, and had us three guys leave so he could talk to Anna. She looked real peeved at him, but what could three first years do against him? He's rather suave though, and smart, so he's not all bad. Johnny and Mikal are cousins from my same town in Ireland who just recently found out they were wizards. I'm pureblood and they're both half-blood but there's no tension between us. Like my father expected there to be once they found out. I grew up with them I'd hate to see us angry with each other. _

_But, they've already got a reason not to like me. They got put in Hufflepuff while I'm in Slytherin. Two opposite houses, the Gryffindors make fun of the Puffles too, which is expectable. The golden kids are fun though. Dart says we should be friendly with them, since they'll be our allies in the real world. Akin Minds. That's what he called our houses. _

"_We must keep akin minds close by."_

"_Like who?"_

"_The Gryffindors for instance, they've got their merits."_

_He said this to me after dinner while we were sitting on a couch in the Common Room, Fawn was drinking some Fire Whisky next to Dart and he ended up taking her with him to bed. But I expected to see him do this. My older brother tells me everything about Dart. _

Draco read through to October of the boy's first year before Harry interrupted him. Draco knew Lukas Canes rather well, the older Canes, Orlando, was his grandfather Dartannian's close friend. Lukas was an acquaintance of Lucius' and of Draco's.

"Hey, what are you reading?"

"It's just the diary of an old student."

"Whose?"

"Lukas Canes."

"Never-wait," Harry took his hand and walked him to the end of the aisle. He dropped his Match's hand and continued to lead him. He lead the blonde to the trophy case where a Quidditch trophy and photo sat. "That Lukas Canes?"

He pointed at a boy with dark brown hair and large amber and green eyes standing in green robes next to someone obviously a Malfoy and another boy rather alike him in appearance.

"Yeah, that's him, in the middle. Says he's a Beater and his brother Orlando is a Chaser. Grandfather Dartannian was Keeper, see?"

"That's blonde guys is your grandfather?"

"Yes, he is. Dartannian is the patriarch of the family. He's going to be coming back to England this Christmas." Draco smiled.

_He's coming to make sure you don't humiliate the family at the Lucius's birthday. What with your horrible new secret and all. _Draco thought to himself and sighed, he stood away from the picture and turned his back to it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Draco answered, trying to sound honest.

"Draco? As good of a liar as you normally are, that one sucked. Tell me?"

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

Draco looked up and down the hall. "I don't want to talk about it at all, much, much less in the hallway by the trophy case."

"Tonight then, in the Astronomy tower at a quarter to midnight?"

"I-" Draco didn't want to tell him why, but the allure of seeing Harry again was too strong. "Ok, at a quarter to midnight."

"Good." Harry smiled, checked the hall and placed a short kiss on Draco's cheek before walking away.

Standing there, Draco touched the place where Harry'd kissed him. _Poor thing's been soiled by you._ The nasty voice in his head snarled and he truly believed it.


	20. In the tower that night

"Rebellion's our theme?" Pansy said, checking over her notes.

"Of course," Blaise nodded and smiled. They were in Draco's wardrobe, standing before his large section of formal wear.

Draco was sitting on the island in the centre, examining necklaces in an attempt to decide what to wear.

"Could I get away with a pleated skirt?" Blaise asked. He stuck out his lip and examined his legs.

"You could pull one off better than I could," Pansy said, she looked over his legs and then back to her notes.

"The Greol _will_ work for this, right?" Blaise clarified, looking between the two, his hands hooked into his white leather belt.

"Of course it will," Pansy nodded. Draco looked up at them. "What?"

"Greol, tomorrow, let's meet to get decorations planned, say a quarter past eight?" Draco settled on a black and gold necklace.

Blaise and Pansy glanced at each other, "that'll be fine. Something more important you wanna say?"

"No, nothing," Draco moved to leave, "oh," he stopped, turned to their interested faces and stated simply, "get out of my closet."

Blaise frowned at him, "I need something to wear since I'm going to that little get-together in the South Wing Circle. Mind if I borrow a thing or two?"

"Be quick about it." Draco shrugged and stood there as Pansy left.

Blaise walked over, pulled him in and slammed the wardrobe door shut. "Help me out here?"

"My gods," Draco rolled his eyes and watched Blaise take out his favorite articles of clothing.

"Try the black pants and the grey sweater."

"It's a party Drake, not a coffee date."

"A real party?"

"Yes."

"The leather pants and your fishnet then," Draco said, he looked at his shoes then took down a pair of boots. "These will work for you too."

"Ya' think?" Blaise examined them and put them by the pants.

"I know it." Checking his watch he saw it was nearly ten. "Well, get going."

"Fine, fine, fine," Blaise relented but stopped at the door. "Draco?"

"What?" Malfoy put his hands on his hips and gave him a look.

"I love you."

Malfoy stopped and gave his life-friend a caring look. "I love you too Blaisey."

"-and-I want you to know that I really really care about you and you only have to say the word and I'm there."

"Why are you telling me this?- I know it, and it applies to you as well."

"I've seen you recently. Being in love with Po-Harry has made you doubt yourself. This whole Bustronte thing has made you doubt your absolute perfection and utter beauty. He was horrible, but that doesn't mean you are by association." Blaise said. He smiled sweetly.

Draco was taken aback, he'd been hiding his doubt so well. No one had noticed for nearly three weeks now. But in one day both Harry and Blaise had addressed the issue. _Am I really just letting it show?_

"Draco? I'm sure no one else knows, I just know you best and…I could see it in your eyes when you spoke. The self-loathing and that look like you want to cry," Blaise pulled him into a hug. "I really, truly love you, you're my favorite brother."

"Thank you and, maybe we'll talk tomorrow over breakfast in Hogsmeade?"

"Sounds perfect," Blaise kissed his cheek and walked out.

Draco smiled at his friends retreating back and silently let out a heavy breath. "I can't meet Harry," he shook his head, "he'll…he'll find out that I'm still this sick little Death Eater in training and-and he'll hate me. Match or no, why would he keep caring about me?"

He felt himself fall to the floor, sitting with his knees bent to rest his arms on. At his back was the island so he lent against it. "What have you done?"

Then, as he said it, his Malfoy mind set slid into place. _All I have to do is drive him off, for his sake and for mine. It will be better for him, for me. _His mask still fit perfectly on his features. Draco pulled himself up, his head hanging down slightly and allowing strands of his white hair to hang over his shadowed face. And as he raised his head and light slid over him, a sneer appeared on his lips.

The moon was sitting, heavily pregnant, in the sky and only slightly obscured by the usual September clouds. It was the seventeenth so the full moon was in five days. Remus would be weak already. Harry sat on the ledge watching the moon and then the clouds ghosting past it.

Behind him, the door creaked open slightly and a shadow slid in. Harry smiled to himself for he could sense his Match there.

"Draco? What's with the sneaking? It's just me here."

"I didn't expect anything more," the cold, sarcastic tone bit into Harry. Confused he tried to get a look at the other boy, see his face. But it was obscured by shadows. Harry frowned and sensed a wall, a blockade.

"What's going on?" Harry silently steeled himself, the feeling of betrayal hung in the air.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me," Harry spat out, he could feel an ache in his heart but his mind blocked it out, grinding to a halt the world around him.

"Okay Potter. You and I can't be this Match anymore, it would never work."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm a Malfoy, and you wouldn't function with someone like me. This is for your own good Potter. Let me go," Draco could feel the ache grow stronger and throb, painfully against his ribs cage and echo through his body.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Tsk tsk tsk. So many questions, you'll have to figure that out on your own."

Draco turned to walk out and felt the pain increasing within him. A stabbing hurt with every step and a throb with every heart beat. His lungs seemed to creak as he tried to breath through it. His Malfoy mask let nothing show on his features but it became increasingly hard. Behind him he heard Harry let out a gasp and fall to his knees in pain.

Around him the air started to distort the stones of the walls and floor. It all became stretched and morphed, and crackles of magic began to appear in the space between them. Draco reached the door with extreme effort and glanced back to see a twist of magic in the air turn blue and then explode into sparks that shot out and crashed into more distorted magic and bounce off going faster than before. The sparks hit the walls and floor and ceiling and shone brightly for a moment before eating through the stone and disappearing. Draco's eyes widened as more magic began to break. The pain became even more intense and he sensed why it was happening.

Trying to leave Harry was killing them both.

Some magic exploded next to him and his heartbeat caught, sending another ache through him. Harry was on his knees, one hand supporting him against the floor and the other clutching his heart. The sparks were eating through the walls and floor and Draco could see larger holes forming, straight through to the other floors of the tower. If this happened, the whole tower would collapse. A tear welled up in his eye as a grating pain found its way into his bones and up his muscles.

Somewhere far off someone let out a yell just as a ripple shook the weakened tower. Part of the wall behind Harry crumbled and fell to earth. Through the new hole a stream of cold wind caught them.

Draco's mind started to shut down in the overload of pain so only his instincts remained. A piece of the floor crumbled and smashed through the next layer of the tower. _If it collapses, we're dead. _Draco heard someone closer by scream and he saw Harry shudder and draw a gasping breath only to scream again. Next to him the floor was crumbling away and magic was breaking all around them. Draco could feel himself growing weak, the magic being destroyed was his, his and Harry's, their shared power.

In front of the moon a shadow appeared, covering the entire orb. An unnatural eclipse.

Harry knew it too, his eyes were screwed shut in pain but he sensed the darkness that surrounded them now, the night only illuminated by this destruction. His heart clenched and thundered hollowly against his ribs. A cloud of dust and dirt rose through the hole in the floor and rushed up through the holes in the ceiling. Another yell reached them and then another followed it. They multiplied and turned into screams and shouts and there was the noise of stones crashing.

The ceiling gave a groan and pieces of stone started to fall away and knock more holes in the weak stones of the floor. Harry felt a scream rise in his throat as more magic was destroyed near him.

I feel strangled

I feel torn in two

Insufficient amounts of two

I don't want to die

Even though I have to

I just want to live a long, long time

Wouldn't it be a cruel joke

If it's too late to try? Why?

It was magic

Torn all apart

He's hurt

He's dying

Claimed to avert a catastrophe

Wind and screams surrounded Harry as his heart thundered one last time before he fell to the floor.

mmk-review please!

AN: the song is a grouping of three song by three differents artists; the end is Blind by the Talking heads, the middle is Too Late to Try by Weezer and the beginning is from Strangled by Osker. a few words were changed too.

I MADE NO MONEY OR PROFIT OF ANY KIND OFF THAT!


	21. In the aftermath

"Harry?"

Draco's face entered his vision. Harry was lying on his back, staring into a perfect blue sky dotted with clouds. The Slytherin gave him a nervous look and held out a hand to him.

"Where are we?" Harry groaned and made an attempt to sit up. He could see Draco sitting on a white ataman at the foot of the couch he was lying on.

"The Afterlife," Draco responded, "I've been awake for a few hours so I've been grilling the Guardian for information." Draco became quiet then for a second before, "What do you want to know?"

"What happened? A-are we dead?"

"The Match process occurs at birth," Draco began, slowly, carefully working the information out into understandable language. "The Guardian said it is when two persons embody souls that used to be just one soul. Like they were broken in half and now exist anew. The magic these souls give off bonds with the magic of the other soul, creating a stronger type of magic all together and this continues as they produce more magic through life. But, when I tried to refuse the bond, the magic attempted to de-bond, or return to its earlier, pure state. I rejected my other half," Draco seemed ashamed as he said this.

"That's what Srene meant by impure, it is bonded magic. But stronger. However, the bond could not be broken and ended up destroying the magic and everything around it, dead magic is a caustic substance you see. It also attempted to de-bond the magic in our bodies, that's the pain we felt. There was an overload of dead magic in the area around us and that created a hole into a magical side area where all wizards and witches go when the magic in them dies. Normally only the soul enters this area, after a portion of magic giving life to the person dies off."

"So, we're dead?"

"No, only partially, our bodies, all of us, are here in the Afterlife. We're not dead, for the part of magic in us providing life still exists. The Guardian says we'll have to return to Hogwarts as soon as we can. But, our magic has to repair first, and re-grow."

Harry let out a sigh and took a hand Draco offered him. He stood and saw a circular room, all white, with an open roof and Roman pillars and statues standing at the doorway. The centre had a shallow pool and thick fur rugs and couches covered in squishy looking pillows. Draco fit in perfectly to the all white world, his pale skin and white hair and silver eyes looked matched to the room. Harry noticed that his Match had white angel wings and he realized he too had them.

"Why do we have wings?"

"Part of the Afterlife, haven't you ever heard of angels?"

"Of course but…I didn't think there was any truth to them."

Draco gave him a look and turned to pull a pear from a bowl of fruit on one ivory table. "Here, eat, you're hungry."

Harry took the fruit and realized how hungry he was. Taking a bight he found it to be an impressively good pear and continued eating. "Why did you try to refuse the bond?"

Draco looked over at him and let out a small breath. "I didn't think I was good enough for you. I was this tainted, disgusting boy, bought and sold to old men for 20 galleons. I thought you'd find me disgusting underneath it all. Because I am, you think I'm gorgeous, but that's the surface, you think I love, but I don't know if I still can. My mind works as though every day is the day I'm going to be killed. Evil is instinct, I was raised by a Death Eater and all I know is hate and darkness. I am impure and I thought you'd hate it later on. I didn't know what the bond of a Match was, I though to save you from me and leave while I still could. It failed though," Draco spoke slowly and hesitantly, he didn't meet Harry's eyes and shook his head often.

Harry was silent in response, for his logic was obvious but flawed. He shook his head too. "I don't know why you think you're the disgusting one here. I'm nearly Voldemort's own spawn, how can you think you're disgusting?"

Draco frowned a little and shrugged. "I've never had a proper relationship with anyone, ever. Be it friend or otherwise."

"What do you mean? What about Blaise and Pansy?"

"Pansy is after my sex and Blaise is a man whore that I've known since conception, he's like a growth on my neck that I love but could never have a functional relationship with." Draco lent against the table.

"Snape?" Harry went next to him and mirrored the action.

"He protects me, hates me but loves me and no, doesn't like me very much at all."

"Your mum?"

"She is an alchy who uses me to meet rich young wizards to sleep with and then blames her troubles on me."

Harry was silent for a moment and contemplated the facts. "Even though you haven't had a proper relationship yet, it doesn't mean you never will. I think that we're both a little paranoid of betrayal in this whole Match thing. We have to trust each other to accept, I think."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"If we're awake by the last day of September, there's a party I'm planning, I want us to go to it together."

Harry turned and gave his Match a shocked look, "really?"

"It's why I planned the party, for a pre Halloween spin on the town, to see what happens."

"You planned a whole party for me?"

"For us, but yeah, that's the idea of it," Draco smiled a little. He moved his hand over and wove his fingers in with Harry. "I'm sorry I killed us."

"You didn't mean to," Harry smiled at the absurdity of the words. He held up Draco's hand to the light and kissed one of the knuckles tenderly. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

"I won't," Draco gave him an innocent smile, "let's go exploring."

They went to the door where the statues let them pass without trouble. They saw streets of black stone with establishments like theirs placed spaciously around. People were walking the streets, laughing, talking and children were skipping around playing tag without getting in anyone's way.

"I think the Malfoy palace is up this way," Draco said pointing.

"You have a palace?-even in the Afterlife?"

"When there are as many of you as there are us; you get a firm establishment without too much trouble," Draco said, they crested a small hill and saw a huge structure, as large as the Coliseum, sitting in the valley.

"Woah," Harry's eyes went wide open.

"Oh, look, Draco's died early," a young man with white hair tipped in blue called from where he was on horseback. He and a group of similarly aged men were playing what appeared to be polo in the field to the side. "And he's brought a friend."

"Nice to see you cousin," Draco smirked at him. "That's Kristofer and his friends, they died in a Quidditch incident three years ago. If you get someone killed, it's polite to let them live in your abode here in the Afterlife."

"I had no idea," Harry didn't think rules existed for etiquette when dead, but apparently this wasn't so.

"Oh, it's Grandmother Relina," Draco broke from Harry and rushed up to an old but well preserved woman sitting at an iron caste table for tea with some other old women.

"Good Merlin, Draco," she threw her frail hands into the air and stood to hug him. "How is my baby grandson?"

"Dead obviously," Draco gave her a smile.

"How did that happen?" She gave him a look. "You weren't being an arse were you?"

"Well ma'am, Harry is my Match and I was paranoid about being betrayed so I tried to leave."

"Oh my," she shook her head knowingly and waved at the table, causing another two chairs to appear. "Sit down loves, tell me how you've been the past few years."

The other women gave the two smiles. Other Malfoy women sat around the table, all trained and smart and caring. "You're Harry?" one of them looked him over, they all did and slowly gave a careful approval of him, the older ones didn't know who he was, but Relina did, she was especially careful with him, but approved none the less.

"I am, ma'am, Harry Potter."

An "oh" went up. "He's a Potter, then." "We've been meaning to marry into that family for years now." "They're so darling together." "Do you think the green eyes will carry into their children?" "That would be precious, a green-eyed Malfoy son, precious." The women chattered for a second before the eldest looking one hushed them all. "Don't confuse the poor things, Draco, I am you Grandmere Helene," she looked like she could have been Helene of Troy in her youth. Her hair was a light reddish color and her face retained an incredible beauty and her figure remained even after so long.

"I know ma'am, your likeness stands in the entrance of the villa on Crete," Draco nodded to her.

"Does it still stand? I remember Gavirus did that after the War, took him months too, and then Amean went and knocked the rose off." She tsked and shook her head.

"Yes ma'am, it stands," Draco affirmed it and gave her a smile.

"Will you look at that, he has my smile," Helene gave him a loving look and smiled back. They were incredibly similar smiles. Harry felt a settling peace knowing they accepted him. He and Draco would be okay.


	22. Tu mama y papa?

My reviewers are awesome. thanks for all the support this story has gotten, that's crazy cool. I am glad it is summer, more time to write. The more reviews I get the faster I update. So, keep 'em coming.

Harry felt a settling peace knowing they accepted him. He and Draco would be okay.

Draco blushed a little and turned his head to see an older man walking down the cobblestones towards them. He was in a heavy blue cloak and walking at a glide and his wings were held out to the side, taking up room in a relaxed fashion. His eyes were a brilliant silver color that matched his hair and the silver clasp of his rove. "Relina, who's that sitting with you?" he called out to her, his voice more like a melody.

"Draco, Lucius' son, Dartannian's grandson, and his Match, Harry Potter," Relina spoke as he came closer. The man looked them over and smiled gently.

"I am Magnesius, the eldest Malfoy man and thus called knowledge holder. A Match you said?" He pulled a chair from the air and seated himself next to Relina.

"Yes, that's right. The Guardian said a Match was two halves of a soul that had been split apart, renewing the life of the soul. But, is there any way to find out who's soul ours used to be?" Draco asked. He sensed then how awkward Harry felt in the presence of the ancient Malfoy clan. Feeling bad for neglecting him he took the black-haired boy's hand and held it.

"There is, I could try but it would take a little time. As much as I expect you need to recover from whatever sent you here. The aura of dead-magic around you is strong…did you try and refuse the Match?" he looked between them in almost shock.

"I did, I was afraid of not being good enough for Harry," Draco answered, still deeply ashamed of that. Magnesius nodded carefully.

"If you really want I can find out for you, but in the mean time you ought to explore the Afterlife, see who all you can see," he stood and touched his hand to Draco's shoulder, as he drew it away a tiny silver thread came with him. He then touched his hand to Harry and drew away another silver thread. "These are tiny fragments of your souls, if I combine these it will show me the original soul, then it was show who it originally belonged too," when he finished he turned and walked away, disappearing into nothing before reaching the huge building.

"Is there anyway we can see my parents?" Harry asked quietly in the short silence that followed.

Draco looked a little shocked but nodded. "Grandmere, I apologize but we really should go to find Harry's family," Draco stood and Harry stood with him.

"Oh, yes, the Potter family resides in that direction," Helene pointed, smiling gently. Harry started in that direction, "Draco?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Be assured you are perfect for him, I can see it when he looks at you," she nodded. The other women smiled and nodded their agreement. Blushing, Draco thanked them and hurried after his Match.

Dawn broke and shone a pale sun ray over the destroyed Astronomy Tower. Rubble was heaped there, at least ten meters high, and parts of stone bricks were strewn around the lawn, some crumbled like ash upon contact while others had embedded themselves in the earth.

Dumbledore swept his old eyes over the ruins and felt a deeply sickened feeling, there was death here. Adrian Weasely was standing, silent, with Srene, both appeared devastated by the look of this. Students were gathered on the lawn in large groups, mostly by House. They stared at the destruction and rumors of the reason circulated slowly.

"What happened?" Snape came to Dumbledore's side and McGonaggle came up behind him.

"I can't be sure."

"Harry! Harry!" Ron called through the crowd, his voice carrying over the hushed whispers of all the other students.

"Draco! Draco!" Blaise and Pansy were in the Slytherin crowd, calling for their friend.

Ron heard their call and a cold fear took him. He saw the tower and he'd felt the magic that burned through the castle. He knew Harry and Draco were involved. He ran to the dusty ruins and began calling Harry's name as he grabbed at stone, trying to clear a path to wherever Harry may have been in there.

A desperation claimed him and adrenaline flooded his bloodstream, he yelled again and threw a stone from his way. Blaise saw and heard Ron and realized what he knew. He and Pansy rushed to help him. Snape let out a small gasp as they shoved past the teachers to get to the rubble. Dumbledore reached out to stop them, there still existed dead magic in the ruins.

"Draco!"

"Harry!"

Students watched, troubled and sorrowful as the three moved a larger stone from their way.

Wait, there's still-"

As the HeadMaster spoke Ron reached for a stone with a spark of dead magic in it. He took hold and was answered with a burning pain running up his arm, into his heart and then thudding out through him again. With a scream he let go with stone and grabbed his arm, going numb from the pain.

"Get away from there quickly," Snape rushed forward with Adrian and took the Sixth years back a few steps. Blaise was worried about Ron now and took his arm, checking it.

Srene drew in breath slowly. "They're dead."

The entire of Hogwarts heard this and let out a sob of despair. Dumbledore felt his age increase with the grief his heart felt for the Match. And for the world.

"Someone's at the door Lily," James said from a lounge chair in the front room. They had a quiet cottage built into a hill next door to James' cousin Milo and his wife Olivia. Lily came out from the kitchen, smiling at her husband, and went to the door. Pulling it open she saw a sixteen year old boy who looked exactly like her husband save he had her eyes and a lightning scar on his forehead.

Holding his hand was a white haired pale boy with sharp, aristocratic features. The two looked nervous but not lost.

"Who are you?" her voice was a whisper, she was amazed to see this boy.

"I'm Harry…I'm your son."


	23. OH MY GOD! THE SOUL WAS WHOSE?

**Probably the most monstrosotous chapter ever. But expect similiar lengths (i hope) for a little while, cuz it's fookin' summer!**

**Loads happens. Hope you like it.**

**The more reviews the faster a new one pops up!**

**love love -Firestorm00X**

_"I'm Harry…I'm your son."_

Lily stood, shocked, in her place, the coffee mug she'd been drying slid from her grasp and shattered on the floor. It evaporated and reappeared, whole again, on the table in the kitchen but this went unnoticed.

"My-my baby Harry?" he nodded to her. "I can't believe it, wh-look how you've grown," she burst into tears at that instant and threw her arms around her son, pulling him into one of the most incredible hugs he'd ever received. Lily wept into her son's shoulder and nearly collapsed. By this time James had come to see what was happening. He saw his wife holding a younger version of himself with green eyes and weeping. He saw the eyes and recognized them, they were Harry's. Just like his mother's but…different, a gorgeous sparkle of some hidden wonder shone in those emerald eyes and James just knew this was his baby.

His sixteen-year-old baby but that's beside the point.

James just gaped and stepped forward, he ran a hand over Harry's frock of black hair that, just as his own had, stuck in all directions no matter how wet or gelled it was.

"Harry," he breathed out and wrapped his arms around the boy and his mother.

Draco took this opportunity to slid into the background and he made to leave all together, Harry should share time with his parents. As he was crossing over the quant footbridge running over a bubbling creek in front of the Potter cottage Harry's parents let go a little and allowed their son to breath again.

"I'm so glad to see you both," Harry smiled, he was crying himself, having waited sixteen years to see them. He felt a deep ache reappear and he knew Draco was moving away. He turned his head, "Wait, Draco, don't go."

"I really ought to, you and your parents need time, along," Draco graciously insisted.

"No, I- I really want you to meet them and for them to meet you," Harry said, he held out his hand for Draco's. The blonde accepted and Lily, still sniffling with joy led them into the sitting room.

"Harry, are you okay? Sirius told us how he'd been sent to Azkaban and you were raised by Petunia in a god-awful way," James said, "I'm so sorry, I wish we could have been there to see you grow up, I'm so, so sorry," James said, holding back a tear.

"No, it's not your fault dad, it's Pettigrew and Voldemort who are to blame. But don't worry, when Draco and I get back we'll be able to win the war," Harry insisted proudly.

Lily looked worried, "I want you to be safe Harry, I love seeing you so much, don't doubt that for a second," she took a ragged breath, "but once you leave I don't want to see you for a very long time."

Harry chuckled as did James, "Harry, Sirius was able to get back right?"

"He's all right, living at Grimuald Place right now after Draco helped him escape from the Ministry dungeons this summer."

James turned to the blonde, "you helped Sirius escape?"

"Yes sir, I was being detained for questioning about my father and the Dark Lord, he was in the cell across from me," Draco answered.

"Please, call me James," the man smiled, he refrained from asking about the relationship between the two. Lily did as well, all she wanted to know what how her baby had been.

"Sirius told us he met you in third year, and you helped him escape Dementors," James said proudly.

"Yeah, my friend Hermione Granger and I used a time-turner to save him. Ron had to be kept away because of his broken leg when we went through the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack in pursuit of Sirius."

"He mentioned, what else have you been doing?"

Harry recounted the Triwizard Tournament, even telling them about fighting Voldemort.

"I remember, we were suddenly pulled out of nice day near the Winterland Mountains. Then we saw you, oh, you're such a handsome young man," Lily said, remembering the event.

Harry blushed and went on to tell them about his battles with Voldemort in first and second year. James was grinning from ear to ear when Harry talked about the Marauders Map and how much it had helped him, and the cloak.

"You're an incredible boy, Harry," James admitted, "I'm sorr-"

"Dad, it's fine, I forgive you for not being there, it wasn't your fault," Harry smiled at them, simply glad to know they loved him. Draco shifted his wings a little and smiled at Lily when she glanced his way.

James ruffled Harry's hair and felt a swell of pride, the boy was just like he was.

"What happened to get you here?"

There was a silence.

"I got us killed Mrs. Potter, Harry and I are a Match-" Draco said.

"A what?"

"Persons who have souls that used to be one, two halves of a whole," Lily explained shortly, curious about what the boy had to say.

"You see, I was scared of being betrayed, Harry and I have only really been on civil speaking terms since July or so. That was when I was living at the Weasely house after being released from the Ministry (Lucius was deemed too dangerous). Since I was scared I tried to refuse the bond," Lily tsked and shook her head here, "which caused an overload of dead magic and got us taken here, bodies and all."

"You seem like a smart boy Mr. Malfoy, do you know how serious a situation you're in?" Lily asked, a maternal hint in her voice.

"Yes Mrs. Potter, of course I do. We have to return soon, if were officially buried or given a funeral, the sealing magic would keep us from returning. Or at least it would be incredibly hard."

Lily nodded, "We'll have to get you to the Gateway by, oh, tomorrow at the latest," she sounded sorrowful at having to give up her son again so soon, but she knew he had an incredible fate and holding him back would be selfish.

"Where is the Gateway?"

"At the headwaters of the river that runs through the Afterlife, taking souls to different areas and levels of…death," James answered.

A loud knocking made them all look at the door for a second. Lily answered it and returned with Magnesius, he was smiling a little and had a parchment piece in his hand. Lily flexed her wings as she sat down, she motioned to an armchair near her.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Potter," he seated himself gracefully.

"Good evening Mr. Malfoy," James nodded to him.

"I've just come to tell the boys about the person who had their soul, before it was separated," he explained, refraining from meeting Lily's trained eyes.

"Who?"

Draco asked, curious.

:At Hogwarts:

"I don't want a funeral, not yet," Blaise shook his head, sighing heavily for the umpteenth time that hour.

He was seated with Pansy, Ron, Adrian, Srene, Snape, McGonaggle and Dumbledore in the office. They were discussing what was to happen and even Snape seemed resigned to burying his godson.

"Why ever not?" McGonaggle asked, the Italian was so difficult sometimes, and in such a stressful, sorrowful situation he seemed even more so.

"I don't think he's really dead, I-I was raised with him and I can feel his presence, like another part of me. That feeling isn't gone," Blaise said, looking at his hands in his lap.

"Are you sure it isn't just nausea?" McGonaggle asked, resting her head in her hands.

Blaise's head snapped up, "I know it's weird but he's my life long friend, I've seen him at his happiest and his saddest, I know Draco and Draco isn't dead."

Snape took this chance to search his soul for a hint of the Malfoy's continued existence. He wanted it so much but he thought it couldn't possibly be, even if they had survived the collapse and fall ((which no one thought they had)) the dead magic that was present in the destruction told them there had, in fact, been death present.

"We must do something, the Ministry is coming to investigate and clean up, parents are sending letters by the dozens, so is the media. What shall we tell them Mr. Zabini? It has been four days, there's twelve tonnes of destroyed stone and enough dead magic to kill Voldemort himself but we're waiting because you had a feeling?" Dumbledore gazed at him, exhausted, the words were harsh but had to be said. The boy was being impossible.

Blaise adopted a firm, pureblood mask and looked down his straight nose at the headmaster, "Draco Malfoy is not dead yet, he's alive, where ever he is."

"We may announce about Harry then? Or do you have a feeling about him too?" Dumbledore asked, a little sniddly.

Blaise narrowed his dark eyes but said nothing.

"So what do we say?" Adrian asked. He knew what Blaise felt was true, the blonde Slytherin had always had a strong aura, one that filled the room and a heart. It still echoed in his own mind.

"Tell them the truth. The Astronomy Tower collapsed at twelve twenty in the morning on twenty four September. For some reason Harry was there and was caught in the collapse, since there's dead magic he is assumed dead," Srene answered, pulling himself off the couch to pace a little.

"It will not be well received," Dumbledore said.

"What do you expect we say then?" Srene whirled around at him, all the dead magic in the air made him nervous and snarky. "We could say there was a bit of an accident but everyone's all right?" he put on a fake voice, "what about when the boy is needed to end the war? What then? 'Oh, remember the tower collapse a few months back?- well Harry was killed then, oops, let's all go fight for no reason because the only who could have saved us got crushed!' " Srene snarled.

Dumbledore stood and gave a great sigh, "enough Kristopher, sit down."

Srene did and felt Adrian take his hand.

"Let us go to bed and continue this tomorrow," the Headmaster made them all leave.

Blaise, Ron and Pansy wandered the hall. "Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Draco was planning a party for the end of September, as a sort of way to sneak a public event with Harry in before Halloween. It got delayed a little but Pansy and I are still holding it, sort of a hoorah for the Prince. Would you like to come?"

Ron mulled it over and nodded, a party may help his bleeding wounds a little. Pansy gave him a smile and kissed his cheek, "I'm going to talk to a girl about a door-guard charm," she gave Blaise a kiss too and headed off.

"It's hard to believe that you and Pansy are still planning a party," Ron said.

"It keeps our mind off all the drama," Blaise answered, he wove his hand into Ron's and they walked deeper in the castle. Eventually they reached Slytherin and Blaise invited his beau in. They walked through the Common Room without fuss, the house was too distraught too notice.

Blaise led him into the boy's dorm and Ron noticed it was larger than the Gryffindor ones. Their beds were Queen sized with satin pillows and gauzy hangings and there was a fireplace in the room with a pretty painting hanging overhead.

"This is gorgeous," Ron said, turning slowly in a circle.

"A perk of living with Draco, if he has to share a dorm, it has to be better than everyone else," Blaise smiled and they walked to his bed. He layed down with his legs hanging over the side. Ron crawled on his stomach so his head was next to Blaise's. He kissed the Italian's lips.

Blaise immediately seemed alive again and rolled Ron onto his back, straddling the fire head in the process. He pressed his lips hard against Ron's, sliding his tongue into the opposing space, his eyelids flickering shut, how he adored the taste of his boyfriend. He felt Ron push his cloak off and strip him of his sweater and tie. Blaise always like to play so his removed the red and gold tie with his teeth, feeling Ron squirm with anticipation. It was a long moment before he fully took it off and then undid the buttons of Ron's shirt with his tongue.

"Let's see if you're a natural red-head," Blaise obviously knew it was true but it was a great way to get into someone's pants. Which is exactly what he did to Ron.

:Back in the Afterlife:

"His name was Stanton Belle, a man from Glastony, France. He became a vampire some four hundred years ago and is now viewed as one of the most powerful ancients in the world. It's incredible that his soul didn't choose someone sooner than you two. Normally a soul would find new bodies almost immediately," Magnesius said, he showed them a sketch of the man. He was gorgeous, with white hair and olive skin, his eyes were almost cut from sapphire they were so blue.

"How did we become so powerful then?"

Magnesius here paused, "Stanton, unwilling to give up his powers as a wizard created a staff, called the _Hand of the Gods._ It channels magic through six rare, precious stones. Stanton created this when he still had his soul, before he gave it up. The initial magic the staff gave him was unbelievable, so he had one of the most powerful magic cores a person or creature can have. The Belle family is also very old and strong magicked. You two, naturally by birth have very powerful central essences, the fibers of your being are magic, by inheritance. But, there is a taint to your magic because it was the soul of a vampire. It turns your magic into darker but not weaker form."

Magnesius seemed proud his work and smiled at them.

"Stanton Belle?" Draco repeated the name. Harry thought it over. Maybe he could meet this vampire.

"Thank-you so much, you did brilliantly," Draco came to his senses and hugged his relative.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Harry shook his hand. The man stood, smiled at everyone and let himself out.

"That's very significant, you know," Lily said.

"Why?"

"A vampire's with a soul is rare. The fact that Stanton retained his after his change is, in itself, nearly impossible. Again that the soul took four hundred years to find new entities is near impossible. Then that it happens into two young men with close ties to dark magic, when his mother was a "Dark Queen" seems an incredible coincidence," Lily said.

The two nodded.

Draco and Harry were endowed with a vampire's soul.

AN (PLEASE GOD READ THIS): So, on the 31 is the **_one year birthday_** of this fanfiction. Yeah, that's crazy. I have a few reviewers (_Robin the Bird, Yana5_ and I believe I few others ((sorry if I didn't put you in))) who have been reading this story since it was first published back in '04. But a lot of other incredible people have been reading and reviewing, I'd thank you all but that'd take too long. (love to reviewers, every last one of you)

So, I'm going to try and post a chapter on or as close to on the 31st as possible. I'm going to try and make it a really significant chapter too. ((a lot of man love will happen there, I know that much. Maybe a meeting with Stanton? who knows, oh, I do!)) lol. Okay, thanks everyone, you're most incredible!

I'm going to respond to reviews (Chapter 29 only), I don't do this very often but, it's already a monster chapter and I may as well do this here:

**Lightningrose13**- I sent you an e-mail thanking you for being my 300th review but I'll say it again so EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT LIGHTNINGROSE13 IS AWESOME AND I CHERISH HER DEEP IN MY HEART!

**Yoflam Rettop Reverof**- you're so sweet with that string of compliments, and…insults. But! I always like reading your reviews because you sounds so happy to get a new chapter. Thanks a load. (love)

**Volleypickle16 – ChainsLeatherSex – IvoryRavyn – Mariel – Elektra107 – Surfergirlpink – Risu Musume – Kyttie – Fifespice** – I hope this chapter has sedated you. Thanks for your reviews and your pleading paid off. (eternal adoration and love)


	24. FREAKIN' SWEET, WE'RE ALMOST ALIVE!

Hoorah, the last chapter got loved!

:Malfoy Castle in the Afterlife:

"Relina?" Draco approached his grandmother. She was a wise woman and could help them get through the Gateway.

She turned and saw him from her seat at a table across from a polo match happening between men married into the family and men born to the family. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me," Draco seated himself in a chair that materialized next to the older woman.

"Of course, where's your Match?" she looked around for Harry but didn't spot him.

"He's with his parents right now, they're catching up," Draco explained, he accepted a cup of cocoa that a goblin sized fairy offered him.

"Ah, I see. What is it you needed help with?"

"When we return to earth, will there be any...difficulties, problems or interferences we'll have to worry about?"

She thought for a moment and then extended her arm to greet Helene as she came over. "Darling," they pressed their cheeks together and Helene seated herself on Draco's other side.

"I saw you two talking and decided to join in," the auburn haired woman explained, taking a glass of wine from the fairy creature.

"Draco was wondering about troubles returning to earth that he and Harry may have. You have a book of Reincarnation Magik, don't you? It would say there," Relina said, casting her eyes for only a second on the polo players.

"I do," Helene raised her left arm and, in an elegant motion to a fairy, a thickly bound leather book was brought to her. The clasp was gold and was the crest of Troy twisted with that of Sparta. Draco smirked a little, Harry had asked if his ancestor was _the _Helene of Troy, she was.

The woman flipped slowly to a page somewhere deep in the bowls of the book and her finger moved down the ancient text in a long dead language. "Here," she tapped a passage with the heading _Viv Deserlax Morinua_. Draco knew this language, for it was his heritage to know such things. _Life after Death_ is what it read, properly translated.

Helene scanned the page and then the next. She read on for another two pages, Draco and Relina waiting patiently by pretending to watch the game. Kristofer leant over the side of his unicorn and smacked the ball with his club sending it into the face of Oleandar, a man who'd married in during the 15th century.

"My book says," the two snapped their heads to look at her, "that the potential problems in entering life through the Gateway are numerous. Arriving in a country you aren't prepared to be in is one of them, you could end up in Burma for all we know.

"If there's been a funeral then a special spell is required, an obscure form of _Destrium Encanta_ that would reverse the finality of your death on earth. Then to make sure you readjust to earth a potion called _Nuras Vive_ is required, to remove any habits you picked up while "dead." I think it'd be good for you to take a temporary wand with you as well," she said, listing off these things on her long, elegant fingers.

Draco repeated these things in his head. "_Destrium Encanta _and _Nuras Vive_. How long does the potion take to brew? Mrs. Potter said we should leave by this afternoon, spending much more than two earth weeks here can cause problems once we return," he said.

"The potion, you'll be happy to here, is always kept in stock here at the Malfoy abode, for cases just like this," Relina said, sounding herself very proud.

Draco smiled with relief, finally the Malfoy's were good for something. He wondered fleetingly if they would let Lucius stay here when he died.

"No."

"What?"

"Lucius won't be allowed here after his death, his soul and that of all Death Eaters who refuse to repent will be sent to a deeper, darker level of the Afterlife called _Satinis_."

"H-how did you know I was thinking that?"

"I was a very powerful sorceress in my time," she said, smiling coyly. "Now," she motioned to a fairy thing, "retrieve two vials of the potion _Nuras Vive_ and a copy of _Destrium Encanta. _Oh, and get me a nice bowl of strawberries," the thing floated off, bobbing a little in tune with its wings.

"Draco?"

"Yes Grandmother Relina?"

"I will miss you," she sounded as though she was trying to assure him with an emphasis on "will."

"Thank-you Grandmother, it was wonderful to see you again," he leaned over and kissed her cheek. She blushed a little and smiled at him.

"I wish you and your Match the best of luck," Relina said.

"That's sweet of you," Draco answered.

"I have a gift for you, really it's from us older women, but I'm giving it to you so it's from me," Helene stood and moved her hand in a vertical circular motion going clockwise and as it came back she turned her hand palm up and a box carved of black wood appeared. Silver hinges and intricate lines of silver created a design on the top. The design was a pair or roses with their stems woven around each other and held again by English Ivy.

She moved the box so he could see inside and she lifted the lid slowly. On a puff of cloud sat two of the most beautiful rings Draco had ever seen. Silver bands with diamonds studded around them, on one the centre stone was a sapphire flanked by heart shaped emeralds that glowed. The other was the same design inverted, with a central emerald and two heart sapphires. Draco heard himself gasp and even Relina drew in a breath.

"They were cast by Vulcan himself, in the fires of Pompeii and the stones are cut from jewels taken from the deepest ocean vent," Helene was proud of these rings. "He made them for the Match made from the soul of Aphrodite's daughter Menia. They were given to me when I discovered Paris and I were a Match. I never met another to pass them on to, but now, here you are," She handed him the box. Shakily he accepted it.

"They are to help control your magic during more…loving moments," she explained.

Draco slowly lowered the lid on them and smiled at her. "Thank-you so much Grandmere, they're exquisite." He stood and hugged the Roman woman. She hugged him back, Draco turned and hugged Relina, "thank-you Grandmother, I know you had something to do with this."

She had, Helene had forgotten the rings had even existed, she and Paris didn't wear them anymore, with no need to control their magic. Her Match was on the field then, galloping around with the young men, still preserved as a youth since the war had ended.

The fairy returned and Helene handed him the two vials and roll with the spell on it. Draco set them next to the box and reseated himself.

"How do I know if there's been a funeral for me yet?"

"Do you feel a little like you've got a weight keeping you here?" Relina inquired.

"No ma'am," he answered, a little confused.

"You've not been given a funeral then," she said, sipping her warm drink.

"Oh," Draco nodded.

:At Hogwarts:

"No!" Blaise yelled and threw the cup of tea in his hands at the Headmaster. The cup shattered against the wall behind him and tea dripped down from where it had impacted.

"Mr. Zabini, it has been six days, the stones are nearly all removed and there's not been a single trace of either boy." Dumbledore was very short with the boy.

"He's not dead!" Blaise yelled.

Srene was seated on the couch nearby, he rested his head against his hand and sighed heavily. The dead magic was strong, he worried it could take him. As a vampire he was soulless and had been in the Afterlife for the briefest time before he'd been taken back to life. Dead magic was the thing that could take him back, this form of life he had depended entirely on maintaining a high level of magic.

"I think you should listen to him Albus," Srene said, looking at them.

"Why?"

"Who else can claim a family history for feeling the life presence of people?"

It was true, the Zabini family was regarded as the best family for tracking or finding a person, they were commonly called Sensors. Employed for hundreds of thousands by the Ministry they were always on hand in missing-wizard cases.

Dumbledore shook his head. He didn't want to postpone any more, the media was becoming incessant. "How much longer should we wait?"

"Until I say so," Blaise snarled.

"How long will that take?" Dumbledore felt like screaming.

"As long as it takes for Draco to die," Blaise responded sharply. He had little tolerance for the aging man.

"Can you say anything about Harry?"

Blaise pictured the Boy Wonder and searched his feelings, as his grandfather Xaviar had taught him. A bluish green aura surrounded the Harry in Blaise's mind. He was alive, but distant, like Draco, it was weak but there.

"He and Draco are in the same place, alive," Blaise said, his muscles relaxed a little.

"So now nothing can be said about either one!" Dumbledore threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "You try my patience Mr. Zabini."

"And you try mine Professor. Accept this, tell them what you will but I refuse to allow you to bury my best friend when he is alive. Consider your options _sir_, and get the media away from the gates, people want to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow," Blaise snarled the word "sir" and then slammed out of the room.

Tomorrow night was the hoorah for Draco, it was gorgeous, the Greol was decorated perfectly, the door guard was set, spells applied, alcohol acquired, persons invited and even a window added so the smoke from cigarettes would be less oppressive. Just as Draco had intended, his notes had sketches and lists of décor items and drinks lists and guest lists.

Blaise was calling the party the Ovation, in reference to honoring Draco and his personality. Blaise stormed through the castle, without the blonde he'd taken over the prefect duties to help Pansy and they had been left to guide the younger Slytherins as Malfoy had always done. He was a very busy person.

Quidditch, prefect duties, O's in most every class (and he was taking advanced courses as well), parties, looking good, sharing time with his friends, tutoring, advising, faking being a Death Eater-in-training, answering his parent's (very long) persistent letters, and he still had time to help Snape brew potions in his spare time.

Blaise found himself standing by the gaping hole where the door to the Astronomy tower used to be. There was a charm to keep cold winds out, but it was still a hole. There was dust and fragments of rock littering the ground, some still left over from the time a few weeks ago that two stair cases had collided and students had been locked all in their dorms. Blaise knew now that that had been from the Match kissing. With a heavy sigh Blaise walked through the hole and was hit by a bitter wind that rushed over the field. Classes had been canceled for the past week and he'd found himself grateful, assuming Draco's responsibilities was difficult. He wasn't sure how Pansy did it either.

"Hey," Blaise turned and saw Ron step through the hole onto the small mounds of stones that remained.

"Hey," Blaise responded. He dug his toe under a rock and chipped it out, sending it flying into the grass nearby.

"You want to go for a walk around the lake?" Ron asked, his voice soft.

"Sure," Blaise breathed out heavily, he took a step down from the mound and his feel hit something that clicked like metal. "What?" he lifted his heel and saw a steel chain stuck between two rocks. He bent down and lifted it out. On the chain were three crests.

One was the Slytherin crest, green with a snake twisted through the centre.

To the left was the Zabini crest, two glowing Italian Harpies wrapping themselves around a crown.

To the right was the Malfoy crest. A silver snake curled at the bottom looking up at, a raven stretched across the centre of the crest, the heavily pregnant moon creating a white halo behind the bird's head.

The necklace was Draco's and matched one that Blaise wore, at eleven they had exchanged crests, a symbol of incredibly friendship. To allow another person to wear your family symbol meant you regarded them as family, closer even.

Blaise let out a strangled cry and fell back on the pile of rock. The Slytherin Prince never took this off. Ron rushed over and knelt beside him, he saw the necklace, the crests and though he wasn't technically higher class he knew what this necklace symbolized.

"Blaise, I-"

"I have to be alone," the Italian hurriedly stood and rushed into the castle then down to find Pansy.

Ron watched him go and felt a sinking sad feeling. _Does he think they're dead now? _

:At the Gateway:

It was a huge river that flowed with silver, white and gray forms of people. Dead souls flowing in. The river, called Styx, was running about a foot and a half deep and was plenty wide. Apparently the level of the Afterlife they resided in was meant strictly for wizard folk, muggle souls were taken elsewhere. Draco didn't understand how they could get in if there was no magic in them, however he refrained from asking.

A tall black archway rested with its back to a mountain covered in ice. In the ice Draco could see scenes of earth flashing by. The arch itself had huge thorns coming out, vines carved into the mountain that stretched for meters at a time. Intricate with tiny leaves on them, this was a magnificent piece of art. Harry was at his side, sending questioning looks at the box Draco held.

Helene was standing not far off with Lily and James, both looking proud, sad and nervous at the same time. Helene looked as though she was watching another polo match, sipping a glass of wine.

"Here, drink this," Draco handed him a vial of the potion.

"What is it?"

"It'll help us reacclimatize to earth," Draco said and drank his, it tasted like rainwater. Harry drank his and looked at the empty vial before setting it aside.

"What's in the box?" Harry finally asked.

"Sit down," Draco motioned to the rock near the bank of the river.

Harry gave a weird look at seated himself. Helene grinned broadly while the Potters moved around to see what it was. Draco lifted the lid and himself gasped again at the beauty of the rings. Harry's jaw dropped open and his eyes widened to twice their normal size.

"They're incredible," he whispered.

"Made especially for a Match," Draco said with a grin, he took one and held it out for Harry. Lily and James had moved enough to see the jewelry and were stunned.

"Those are…" they searched for the words.

"The _Amoras _rings, made for Menia, given to myself and Paris now, their third owners," Helene said, she nodded to the two boys.

Harry put on the ring with the two sapphires flanking the emerald, finding it a perfect fit. Draco put on the other and closed the box, he turned and gave it to Helene, she smiled, touched the roses and it shrunk down, then she pushed it back to Draco. He smiled and put the box into the pocket if his white robes. He extended his wings and when he hugged her wrapped them around her. Helene laughed charmingly and did the same with her own wings.

"You two should go," Lily said. The Gateway showed it was nearly eight o'clock in England. A few more hours and the returning would triple in difficulty.

They nodded, and Harry extended his hand to Draco. They wore their rings on opposite hands, Harry being right-handed wore it there and Draco being left handed wore it there. So when they held hands the rings touched and filled each with a safe, loved feeling. The time he spent in the Afterlife was the most beloved time Harry had ever had, he was cared for by everyone.

He kissed his parents and then the Match walked to the banks of the river.

They stepped in, barefoot, and felt the ice cold waters chill them. It was a deep cold, so cold it almost burned and the river was swift, it dragged at them, grabbing their robes as the waded deeper, nearly to their knees. The two moved back up the river, feeling it try to coax them under the surface, promising a safe ride. Draco nearly slid under, dragged by the presence of the souls. But he continued on, until they stood at the change of the worlds. Beyond Draco caught a glimps of an ice-castle, belonging to a Veela queen, then a tree house of an Elven family, St. Mungos Hospital, a tiny hut it Africa, then a house in America. They watched for a second, then moved to go through.

AN: (NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE LAST ONE): This is chapter 31, hope it's not too long for ya'all. Yeah it's a cliffy, yeah it's mean but hey, there's another… someodd days until they can have a party. I'm going away to Ashland from the 11-19 so I'm putting this up for you. Review 30 so I don't feel bad about cutting off it's potential by updating too quickly. Lol. Review this one too though.

:love to reviewers:

I don't respond very often but I did last chapter, everyone has been awesome, a lot of the same people give reviews which is AWESOME I adore you for it. But new persons giving reviews are totally appreciated :hint hint:

okay.

That's all.

:passes out holographic trading cards (of Harry and Draco making out) to all reviewers:

There.

Love-Firestorm00X


	25. We are alive and willynilly

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW!

_Okay: I am editing earlier chapters and combining them to make them longer. This means the # of chapters may go down. Do not be alarmed. This is the updated chapter. I deleted the original 2nd chapter and combined it with Chapter 1. _

Chapter 31:

"I hope they're okay," Lily watched the scenes flash by in the ice.

"They are," Helene walked to the mountain side and pressed her palm against it, feeling the cold slip into her very being.

"How do you know?" Lily asked nervously, felt intimidated so close to a woman like Helene.

"Look," Helene dragged a fingertip across the mountain surface and a scene appeared, the Notre Dam in France. Like a zoom on a camera it brought them to the top of the arch and they saw the two boys lying there, unconscious and next to each other.

"Oh my," Lily indicated to the white wings still sprouted from Draco's back.

"Yes, Malfoy's have an affinity to pretty white things," Helene smirked and downed the rest of her wine. She let go of the glass and it evaporated. "Especially Draco, all his life he's been a pretty-boy," she said, letting the scene go as she removed her hand.

James felt a sadness at losing sight of his son. "I wish we could have seen him grow-up," he said.

"Who? Draco?"

"No, Harry," James gave a little laugh.

"You didn't? Don't you have a viewing mirror? Or is that more of a Malfoy thing?" she tapped a finger to her chin and waved her hand, making another glass of wine appear.

"No, we don't err didn't," James got tense confused and shut his mouth to look at a riveting piece of grass.

Helene just nodded.

:On the top of Notre Dam:

"Wha?" Harry sat up, clutching his head where it felt like he'd smacked it against a wall.

"Harry?" Draco was sitting up, his knees bent and a hand splayed out behind him to hold him up.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?" Draco asked. He glanced down at himself and saw he was dressed in the black clothing he was wearing that night a week ago when the tower had collapsed. But he was covered in dust and the clothes were torn and burnt, sleeves shredded with tears down the legs of his pants.

"Splitting headache," Harry admitted. He righted himself and felt his eyes widen as he looked across the French skyline, "D-draco?"

"Yes?" the blonde began to stand.

"We're in France," he pointed out to where the Eiffel Tower stood in the distance. Harry hadn't noticed he was wearing a destroyed version of the outfit he had on when the tower collapsed but he did as he spotted his own arm, pointing to the city.

Draco looked a little stunned, "Paris? How…lucky?"

"What?" Harry gave him a look like he though he was crazy.

"We could have landed in Bangladesh, I don't speak any Arabic languages Harry, and then where would we be?"

"Bangladesh?"

Draco playfully shoved Harry. He noted then that two, perfect white wings were coming from between his Match's shoulder blades. Harry gaped at them and pointed. Draco turned his head over his shoulder and saw them, his jaw dropped as he moved them.

"Bollocks."

:Back to just before they went through the Gateway:

Harry looked at Draco through the corner of his eyes and, with great nervousness, stuck his foot through the shimmering barrier before him. He felt an incredibly strong wind pulling at his foot as though the Gateway itself was flying a thousand miles a second over the world to catch the spirits of the dead. He winced but started to step through, leaning into the portal. Draco held back for a millisecond and then lifted himself up and jumped through, yanking the rest of Harry along with him.

Harry flew forward and saw the earth rotating slowly through space below him. It was a second of perfect peace, watching a cloud spotted planet seemingly sit still for them, standing in space on a meteorite, a thorn covered Gateway at their back. They paused for a second before hurtling down, gaining speed as they plummeted. Draco was smirking at him and Harry braced himself for impact with the fast approaching ground.

"Relax, it'll hurt less," Draco whispered and the words somehow reached him.

"Yeah," Harry replied sarcastically, "like you've done this before," his "before" turned into a scream as the top of the Notre Dam smacked him in the face.

: Into the jet stream of occurrences :

"How the fuck are we going to get back?" Harry asked, his eyes searching the sky line for the umpteenth time. They been sitting there for nearly thirty minutes, trying to settle on a plan of action.

"We'll have to floo back to Hogsmeade and if I know anything it's that there will be some sort of media covering the school. We did collapse a tower you know," Draco said in an all-knowing voice.

"Okay, let's get to a floo port," Harry stood and moved to step off.

"We don't have any money, Harry," Draco stopped him.

"Why does that matter?"

"Floo powder is expensive to import so they charge for its use here in France," Draco explained.

"What!" Harry felt his heart sink, they had no money at all.

"I might be able to convince the keep at _Poplemousse_ to let us through and bill it to me at Hogwarts, but it's been a few months since I've seen or spoken to him. He could be less friendly since then," Draco warned.

"Ok, where is this place?"

"Over there, in the 13th square. How will we get over there though?" Draco asked.

"Maybe we can apperate there," Harry suggested, "using our Match-ness that is."

Draco gave him an odd look but consented. He took any opportunity to kiss that black haired boy.

Draco snaked his arms around Harry's shoulder and into the boy's wild black hair. He pressed their lips together and smiled into the kiss when he felt Harry's hand on his hips, pressing them together. A surge of magic sped through them and then a feeling of extreme weightlessness. Draco pried an eye open and saw they had managed to end up above Hogwarts itself. He quickly closed his eyes and kissed Harry harder. But too late, Harry had opened his eyes as well, he pulled away and let out a scared noise as they dropped suddenly. Draco opened his wings just before he hit the roof and glided down the side, inches above it.

Harry landed hard and started to roll off, not hurt but a little shocked. Draco snatched him by the wrists as he neared the edge, hauling him up into the air.

"You need to work on your landings Mr. Potter," Draco said, bringing them closer to the ground.

"You need to shut the hell up Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, he gave Draco a look like an angry parent and then found himself flat on the ground from where Draco had dropped him six feet up. "Hey, that's unfair."

"No, it's not," Draco smirked from his place, the ring on his finger glinting in the sunlight. "Even if it is, you'll just have to deal with it."

They were around the back side of the castle, facing the Forbidden Forest with the sun setting out behind them. Harry noted the long shadows cast by the trees and decided it was definitely time to go in.

Harry stood up and brushed himself off instead of replying. He held out his right hand and Draco took it with his left, their rings touching and send a spark through them. Harry liked that feeling.

"It's time for dinner, let's go in and see what everyone says," Harry said.

Draco stopped him, pointing at their shredded and burnt clothing. He saw the remnants of what they'd been wearing the night they "died." Harry nodded. "We'll change in our dorms first."

"I don't think we should go around front, with media lurking nearby it could be dangerous," Draco stopped him. He spotted a window up ahead of them that was able to open and looked safe and easy to get through. "Let's sneak in there," he went over and reached up, his long fingers grasping the edge. Harry watched his Match lift himself up and jimmy open the window and slid in. Draco, being a bit smaller than Harry, opened the window farther and assisted the black-haired boy climb through. Draco shook himself clear of dust he'd collected while sliding in, his wings rustling as well.

Harry went to the door and peaked through. The hall was clear.

"Okay, you go to Slytherin, I'll go to Gryffindor, meet back by the front doors in twenty?" Harry asked.

"Sure," Draco nodded, trying to think up a charm to let his wings through his clothes without tearing anything.

Harry pressed his lips against Draco's in a good-bye kiss. "I love you."

Draco smiled at him, "Love you too."

Not ten minutes later they were standing in new school robes before the closed doors of the Great Hall.

"So…" Draco looked at the door nervously.

"This is it," Harry said. He steeled himself, reached out and shoved the doors open.

The hall was talking but in a moment they fell silent, staring at the two people in the door. Blaise nearly died where he sat at Slytherin table, he had just known that Draco was alive. Dumbledore hadn't believed him, no one had, but he was right. He was fucking right. There he was, Draco Malfoy, arms, legs, head, torso, wings and all.

Wait.

Wings?

Blaise's eyes focused directly on the two extra appendages. Where did they come from?

The Italian didn't even wonder where they had been or what had happened or any of that.

Harry was standing there, racking his brain for something witty or cool to say, everyone was staring at him, the dead-kid-came-back-to-life. The boy-who-refused-to-die. Beside him, Draco beat him to it.

"What are we having for dinner?" the blonde asked, quirking an eyebrow and moving to go to Slytherin table.

"Misters Malfoy and Potter, explain yourselves," Dumbledore stood up and in his haste knocked over his goblet.

"Honestly Professor, so rude. I'm hungry, been dead for a week you know, let me eat," Draco smirked at the old man and began to walk to his table. Harry just shrugged it off with a smile and went to Gryffindor. Ron was sitting there, eyes wide, nearly crying.

As he got closer Ron jumped up and hugged his best friend.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Ron nearly kissed him, ecstatic about the new development. And the party tomorrow! It would be incredible! Harry hugged him back, glad as ever that he and Ron had remained friends.

At Slytherin, Pansy was shedding tears willy-nilly (gawd I love that phrase) and stumbled over herself to hug Draco.

"You bastard, you fucking bastard, why'd you go away?" she cried into his shoulder, crushing him in her embrace.

Draco smiled at her, "Pansy, love, I'll explain it all, but let me eat?" he kissed her cheek and seated himself between her and Blaise as he stretched his wings and then loaded up his plate.

Snape was sitting still, staring blankly at his godson. Was this boy, who'd matured so much since July still his same godson?

The boy he'd seen grow up in the cold halls of the Wiltshire manor?

:Eleven years ago in the Malfoy Manor:

"Uncle?" a tiny voice found him in the bleakness of the lower hallways.

"Draco?" he called back, keeping the worry from his voice.

The heir wasn't supposed to stray into the lower halls, but the elves had last seen him going this direction. Draco, tiny built for a child of five, was adventurous and even a little odd. He had no friends, only the Nightmare's colts in the herd that the family owned. Now they were getting too big and he had to find small friends to play with again.

Snape fretted constantly over the boy, Lucius barely even remembered his name, Narcissa could care less, her love of wine too great. Snape raised his wand and saw the white haired boy sitting against the wall, smiling at the snake in his hand. It was small, a common garden snake in appearance, and had wrapped itself loosely around his thin hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes uncle, just playing with Hissi, my new friend," he turned and looked at his godfather with such innocence and honesty it was astonishing. Even at five, he was a wounded little boy.

He'd heard his father verbally abusing his drunkard mother. He'd seen her throwing glass-wear and vases against walls. He was scared of them, his parents, dead scared. Draco stayed away from meals, wandering into lost parts of the castle to escape the frightening encounters with his parents. That was why he was so small, lack of eating. He'd become accustomed to not doing so and his mother always acknowledged him now when she saw him. Though, it was only to sneer at how small he was. Lucius was the same way.

"Come, would you like me to take you for supper in Diagon Alley?" Snape reached out for him.

"Oh yes, Uncle. That would be most delightful," the boy nearly sprang up, but he was careful to let down the snake and watch it disappear into the shadows. "Will my parents be there?"

"No, just you and I," Snape assured him. "You can tell me everything you've been doing. If you like, you can tell me in Russian, so I can see how good you're getting."

Draco had a love of languages and Russian was his third already. The Malfoy grinned and held out his hand, so he could be led back to the light.

:End of flashback:

Snape hadn't known then that his godson would starve himself simply so that his parents would look at him. He didn't know the boy would disappear for three weeks when he was nine, into the dungeons of the manor without his parents knowing. If he had, he would have tried to help him.

But, it was far too late now. He was a Match with the Boy-who-lived. He had been killed. He had been resurrected. He had wings.

Draco wasn't a child anymore.

Snape could barely see through the tears he wanted to cry. That child he had once known was destroyed in a cruelly prolonged way.

**Hey, I edited and re-uploaded Chapter 1, hope you like it this time. I changed things, got some reviews that pointed things out. I'm going to be going through the whole story and doing this (editing and combining chapters) so, in the next few weeks the story is going to start looking different but no worries, same old story…revamped a little.**

**By the way, I had a great time on vacation, it was super cool and awesome. Sorry I couldn't update while in Oregon. But! If you review this or Chapter 32 (which I've also added) I'll give you a limited edition holographic trading card of Harry and Draco making out that is all-new because they are without shirts! YAY!**

**PLUS: I own HBP, since earlier today, but I've not read it (I'm not allowed to until I finish a summer reading book (dies)) So, I'm keeping them in 6th year and no matter what happens (I've read spoilers, so I know but I won't share) I'm not changing my story. So you know!**

**Thanks a butt-load.**

**Love-Firestorm00X**


	26. Jade, SkullBoy and Stormy

**If you have not read the chapter before this one, do so now! It is a new chapter and it has some relevance and context to this chapter.**

**Thank-you.**

**I don't know how many times I have to tell you but I'm editing earlier chapters and combining the short ones to make longer, better chapters. I really hope you aren't too confused. **

**Thanks.

* * *

**

"Now, what exactly happened?" Dumbledore wasn't asking really, he was demanding to know and the lack of twinkle in his eye proved this.

"Well," Draco knew this was a bad way to start a story but he couldn't really decide how to phrase it. "Harry and I were in the Astronomy tower, we'd decided to meet after visiting the Quidditch trophy shelves. Why is irrelevant. Up there, I, for reasons that are none of your concern, refused the bond of the Match."

Blaise dropped his jaw for he knew the reasons Draco would have done such a thing. Srene understood immediately what had happened but the rest had confused looks still.

"Then, the air started to glow and break into fragments that, when they hit the walls, burnt through. It was all dead magic, our power was trying to defuse back but it couldn't do so without being destroyed. Eventually the tower collapsed and because of the huge amount of dead magic, our soul and our bodies were all transported directly into the Afterlife."

"Wait, soul, singular?" Dumbledore frowned at this.

"We found out that a Match is a pair of people carrying two halves of a soul that was broken apart by the original owner, to prolong its, the soul's, life." Harry explained.

"Yes." Draco confirmed, "In the Afterlife we went to the Malfoy Estate and spoke with my deceased ancestors, including Relina and one of the first Malfoy women; Helene."

Snape realized who he was talking about, Helene of Troy, the second Match ever known, she and Paris that is.

"They explained everything, or parts of everything to us. We met Magnesius," Dumbledore had known that man. Smart as any other wizard ever born. "He told us who originally had our soul."

"Who?" Blaise asked.

"We'll get there." Draco assured.

"Then we met my parents," Harry said, excited. Ron grinned broadly.

"Really? Were they cool?"

"Yeah, my dad is really nice and my mum, she's wonderful," Harry smiled and couldn't contain his joy. He knew his parents!

"Wow," Ron was happy for his friend.

"Go on," Dumbledore insisted.

"Helene and I discussed how to return to life," Draco said. "She provided us with a potion," here he turned to Snape, "_Nuras Vive_? Have you heard of it?"

"Of course, it helps reaclimate people to life on earth after they've been away from their bodies for any prolonged amount of time. It's very lengthly to create though, months under normal circumstances."

"They keep a store of it for such occasions," Draco offered.

"We also got a copy of _Destrium Encanta _in case you had had funerals for us." Harry said.

"Oh, Mr. Zabini here kept that from happening," Srene said, Dumbledore looked put out at this. Proved so blatantly wrong.

"Yeah, I had a feeling," Blaise sounded so proud of himself.

Draco laughed, "then we came back through the Gateway at the head of the river Styx. We ended up on top of Notre Dam."

"Really?" Ron looked at Harry.

"Yeah, it was really pretty."

"We noticed I had wings but really what can you do? Then we tried to apperate ourselves to the nearby tavern so we could floo here but ended up just out back above the school."

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded, resuming his all knowing attitude.

"Yes, well, about your soul?" Adrian spoke up, he'd been standing by the door, with Snape on the other side.

"Oh, of course, thank you Professor Bren-Weasely," Draco nodded. "Do you know of Stanton Belle?"

Srene visibly flinched at the name and moved away from it like it was a real thing.

"Yes," Srene answered, it took effort to speak.

"What's wrong?" Adrian moved to his side.

"Belle or the Father, as he's sometimes called, is the leader of the clan of vampires that changed me a hundred years ago," Srene said.

The room was silent.

:One hundred and thirteen years ago in France:

(Yeah, I have a thing for Flashbacks all of the sudden, I KNOW!)

"Good night madam," Kristopher bowed to her and touched her hand to his forehead, a sign of respect.

"Good night Messuire Srene," she smiled coyly at him. Annaliese was a sly girl, a year or three older than he, a twenty-two year old heiress with money to burn and the attitude of a spoilt Queen.

Kristopher walked away from her, into the cool night. Down the street, lights burnt to keep travelers on the sidewalks. Few others were out, only a few men were leaving the opium dens hidden in basements nearby.

"Excuse me, sir?" Kristopher turned and saw a girl, about twelve, standing just outside a ring of light. Her features were lit, large pale blue eyes gazed at him innocently.

"Yes little miss?" he moved into the light, slightly concerned about her. Children shouldn't have been out so late, with the rash of disappearances.

"I'm terribly lost, might you help me?" she took a tiny step into the light. She was very gaunt, pale and ragged looking.

"Of course, are you all right?"

"No sir, I have just escaped a horrid man who has kept me locked up for many years," she let a tear escape but brushed it away.

"Who?"

"My Father, he is evil, a demon sir, please, help me," her voice became slightly panicked.

"Yes, come with me, we'll-" he had an arm around her, to lead her away but he stopped when he turned back and saw a ring of people standing around the circle. Staring with glowing eyes, he glanced down at the girl and saw her pale eyes glowing as well.

"Wha-"

"Too late Messuire," a woman said, mocking the title she'd used.

"Who are you all?"

"They are my children," a man appeared and entered the light.

His hair was black and curled at the ends, white dotted the roots but it was not from age. He held a staff, a gorgeous staff, made of iron and platinum that was crowned in a clawed hand grasping a sphere carved of diamond. Within it were six stones, all black, that glowed with some other worldly energy.

"Who are you?" Srene directed the question at him.

"The Father or the Dragon clan," he smirked, "we are vampires Messuire."

With a laugh the man pointed the head of the staff at Kristopher and he felt himself go mute. The man reached his hand out, the long fingers grasped his shoulder and brought him forward.

The man put his lips to Kristopher's neck, placing a delicate kiss on his pulse before piercing his skin with ivory fangs. Srene tried to scream but he could not. The laughing faces of the vampires around him spun in a haze almost like an opium high. Scared, Srene tried to fight back but his strength was gone.

It was blackness then. And when he awoke, he was undead.

:Hogwarts, Present:

"You look pale, Srene," Ron said, looking oddly at the vampire next to him.

"I haven't spent time in daylight in over a hundred years, I ought to look pale," Srene joked, still shaken by the memory.

The group laughed a little nervously.

"I should warn you," Srene started, unsure of himself for the first time in a long while, "the Father is a cruel man, vicious and…powerful. He won't like two humans wandering into his den claiming they have his old soul. He doesn't like humans at all, he barely even likes vampires and he is one. the Father will, we'll just say he will _not _be what you expect."

"Can he really be such a horrible person?"

"Easily," Srene assured them.

"We'll have to make him play nice then." Draco said in his slightly arrogant way.

Ron laughed and leaned on Blaise next to him on the couch, comfortable against his boyfriend.

"You're pretty," Blaise said, kissing the red hair.

"Thank-you," Ron turned his head and kissed the Italian's lips.

"Ew, gross," Draco stuck out his tongue at them.

"Ew your face," Blaise responded. He remembered the necklace he'd found and took it from around his own neck, "I found this in the rubble." He held it out.

"My- oh gods Blaise, thank-you. I missed it so," Draco took it in his left hand, the ring glinted and all attention was drawn to the incredible piece.

"Holy fuck," Adrian went wide eyed with shock at the priceless rings.

"Holy," Ron started.

"Fuck," Blaise finished.

"Holy fuck," Srene was shocked because he recognized what the stones were.

"Holy fuck?" Snape looked at the two men with blatant disapproval.

"Holy fuck," Dumbledore muttered, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"What?" Draco gave them all a weird look

"You're-" Blaise pointed at the rings.

"Wearing-" Adrian tried to say.

"The-" said Snape, trying to move them all along.

"The _Amoras _rings," Srene finished.

"Oh, yes, Helene gave them to us," Draco smiled at the ring he wore. Harry nodded and held his up.

"Gawds Drake, that thing must be worth billions," Blaise peered at it.

"They have no price," Snape said, looking at Blaise from the corner of his eye, "they're ancient and anyone fool enough to try sell them could never get a high enough amount."

"Oh," Blaise had the decency to look a little embarrassed.

Harry ignored them mostly, for he was looking at the necklace in Draco's hand. He hadn't put it on yet.

The three crests were all very pretty and caused Harry to wonder what the Potter crest looked like. Was it so rich and…pureblood as these two? What about the Weasely crest? This caused him to wonder about all the pureblood crests. Curiosity gripped him, later that day he would get Draco to explain it all.

Dumbledore herumphed from behind his desk to draw attention back to himself, the group turned, some with annoyed expressions.

"I think that Misters Potter and Malfoy should go to the hospital wing to be checked out, Professor Srene, if I may have a word with you?"

The majority of them departed, Adrian stayed and glared at the headmaster. In the hall Draco made sure to give his godfather a hug.

"I missed you Uncle."

Snape was stunned, more than a little stunned actually. Draco, since he was accepted to Hogwarts, had been very anti-contact and anti-affection.

"Yes, I missed you as well Draco," Snape ruffled his hair and grinned at him. "You've changed since we spoke last."

Draco knew this, as he had been to the Afterlife.

"Maybe you're just growing old Uncle, what about that?"

Snape gave him a look of false disapproval. "Perhaps I ought to hobble back to my dungeons and hunch over another cauldron, 'eh?"

"Just don't trip on any stairs, you'll break something," Draco said.

Snape rolled his black eyes and disappeared down the corridor.

"Come on, Madam Pomfrey needs to see us," Harry held out his hand.

"Yeah, sure she does," Draco rolled his eyes as his godfather had just done and took Harry's hand. "We're fine, Dumbledore just wanted us out since we weren't doing what he wanted us to."

"Don't be so judgmental of him, he's our headmaster, and a good man," Harry insisted as they drew nearer the Hospital Wing.

"You really are jaded Messuire Potter," Draco announced as though he'd discovered a cure for a grave disease.

"You're a pipsqueak," Harry said, nudging him lightly.

"Brute," Draco smirked at him and Harry was suddenly against a wall, the shorter blonde nearly wrapped around him.

Their lips were pressed flat against each other until Draco took Harry's bottom lip and began to suck on it. Harry groaned and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, dragging them closer together.

Draco was proud of the response he'd earned and then drew back, licking his lips. "Come along," he held out his hand so they could continue.

"What?"

"Madam Pomfrey?" Draco reminded him.

"How can you expect me to sit around getting prodded by that old woman after you just did that?"

"Did what?" Draco acted innocent.

Harry made an odd noise of confusion but shook himself free of it and took his Match's hand. _Bastard._ Harry said to himself as they walked through the doors.

"I expected to see you two fairly soon," Madam Pomfrey said, eyeing them.

"Yes ma'am, you've seen us, we can go," Draco rounded on his heel and made to leave.

"Not so fast Mister Malfoy," she raised a hand and then clasped it again in front of her.

"What?"

"Let me see your wing joint," she motioned to the bed. Malfoy went over and lifted his shirt off.

Harry sucked in breath, his Match was perfectly built. His hips bones were visible and caused the eye to follow their line down below the belt of his black trousers. His stomach was flat but not over toned, his shoulder a little wider and his collar bone showed and looked gorgeous beneath his ivory skin.

Madam Pomfrey examined the wing joint, where they branched out from between his shoulder blades. She hm'd and tsk'd at them until she was satisfied they weren't dangerous to his health.

"Can I go now?" Draco asked, reaching for his shirt.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head and kept them another half hour, running tests, taking temperatures and all manner of things, including checking for poisoning.

Finally they were excused.

"I want a sundae," Harry announced, he looked down the hall with the kitchen and took his snake down that way.

"I want a bed and a good book or a naked Match, what are you going to do about that?" Draco asked as he followed Harry.

"After I get ice-cream," Harry tickled the pair and entered. Immediately they were silent when they saw Adrian and Snape sitting there talking.

"Kristopher isn't a threat to any one," Adrian was insisting.

"How can you be sure? You've only known him since August," Snape reminded him.

"I just do…" Adrian trailed off, "I think," he tried again, "I think he and I are more than just attracted to each other."

"What do you mean Adrian?"

You know how Drake and Harry are a Match?"

"Yes."

"I don't think Kristopher and I are a Match. We are, at least I really think we are, in…love," Adrian almost winced after he finished, in pre-emptive response to Snape's reaction.

"It's possible," Snape sipped his coffee, "love isn't impossible, especially when a you've been put through trials like this past month. And when you're alone, a warm soul is a great comfort."

"You talk as if you know, sir," Adrian had a small frown on his face.

"Of course, I _was _young once, not always a sneering thirty-something man in all black," Snape said with a small smirk.

Adrian chuckled and looked at the Potion's master as if expecting an explanation.

"He called himself Jade, because of the color of his eyes, and he rode a motorcycle and wore a leather jacket and had a pair of combat boots. He'd run away from home the year before I met him, we were sixteen. We met in London, I was there for a party with Lucius, Jade was there looking for answers about his mother. She'd died when he was young, or she'd left him and his father, I never found out. But, then he did, he discovered the truth about her or…something happened and he gave himself over to depression. He drove his bike off a bridge into the Thymes, I just wasn't enough to keep him around. He did that when were eighteen, and that same year I joined the Dark Lord," Snape said, his voice was hollow, as if reading from a book.

"Did you ever know his real name?" Adrian asked.

"No," Snape said, shaking his head.

Draco made a show of pushing open the door so it slammed against the wall. Both men snapped to look at him.

"Get your damn ice-cream," Draco said. He looked over at them and smiled, "hello, Harry just had a craving for ice-cream."

Lower, the blonde whispered to Harry, "and I have a craving for you, get a damn move-on."

Snape smiled at them both and stood. "I'll see you tomorrow Professor Weasley."

"Yeah, sure, bye Snape."

* * *

**Okay: no that wasn't a random anecdote about Snape's past, it is significant. I feel sad that only 2 people have reviewed the chapter before this. Is something wrong with it? Or is everyone just confused about me editing and combining and reloading the earlier chapters and deleting other ones I put into bigger chapters?**

**I hope you all still like this story:sad face:**


	27. There's a party and a dog named Pookie

Snape smiled at them both and stood. "I'll see you tomorrow Professor Weasley."

"Yeah, sure, bye Snape."

The black haired man disappeared through the door, leaving just the three.

"How much of that did you here?"

"Since Kristopher isn't a threat to anyone," Draco responded.

"Don't let anyone know, about either thing," Adrian said, putting a finger to his lips.

"Of course," Draco nodded.

Harry had retrieved his ice-cream and was standing near the door, waiting for the blonde.

"You be nice Stormy, poor Harry must be tired from inter-dimensional travel and all," Adrian said as they were leaving.

"Sure thing, Skull-boy," Draco gave him a lazy salute and slammed the door behind him.

"You're mean to Adrian, you know that?" Harry chastised.

"Skully? No, never," Draco shook his head.

They were expected to return to classes Monday and Draco worried if they'd recover from their hangovers by then. Tomorrow night was his party. They were wandering through the castle at that moment and Harry pushed open a door in their path and recognized the room and the door to the three headed dog immediately.

"Come on, it's just through there," Draco pointed at the exact door leading to Fluffy.

"No, there's something bad through there," Harry snatched his forearm to hold him back.

"What could it possibly be?"

"Should I describe it to you or shall I get you a box 1?"

Draco gave him an odd look, "why would I need a box?"

"To put your shredded up remains in," Harry said.

"You're being silly Harry, come on," Draco removed himself from the boy's grasp and flung open the door.

Inside stood the huge dog, it snarled at the blonde. Draco squeaked.

"Run!" Harry dropped his bowl of ice-cream, and ran to the blonde.

"Look at how big Pookie has gotten!" Draco squealed and grinned at the dog.

Harry's jaw dropped, _what the hell?_

"Harry, meet Pookie, he guards the secret entrance to the Slytherin common room. I don't know what you were talking about, needing a bowl to put my bloody remains in. Batty, the lot of you Gryffindors," Draco patted the middle head's snout and it panted at him like a cheery puppy.

"You…wha…how?"

"What? Pookie's a good dog, though I heard you had a run in with him in first year," Draco said, then he scratched the left head behind the ears.

"You think Fluffy is a good dog!"

"What the hell kind of a name is that? Fluffy, pshh," Draco shook his head at the name. "Pookie is much better, isn't it boy?"

The heads each barked happily and wagged their tongues at the blonde.

Harry just skirted the edge of the room to where Draco was standing looking at a big oaken door. "This wasn't here in first year."

"Of course it was, you didn't see it though, too concerned about Pookie, eh?"

Harry didn't respond but watched as Draco tapped the knocker's forehead. It was a metal goblin head with the heavy ring through its hooked nose.

"Oh, oh," it was startled awake and shook itself a little, "what do you want then?"

"Just going to the Pit, see what's going on."

Draco offered the knocker his Slytherin crest necklace. It eyed the piece and then the metal eyes rolled towards Harry.

"What about the other boy?" it asked in its rough Scottish voice.

"He's fine Ello, no worries there," Draco assured the knockers before the door swung open.

A long narrow staircase slopped downward and out of sight. When Draco stepped in torches burst into flame in small alcoves dotting the stairwell. Harry was immediately jealous, Gryffindor didn't get such a thing.

"I love this place," Draco was saying, though Harry was a little too distracted to notice. "I'll have to bring Pookie a steak tomorrow. The elves just aren't being nice enough to him."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. There was no way he was going near Fluff-Pookie again. Draco stopped, causing Harry to collide with Draco's white wings.

"Ow," Draco whirled around and found himself pressed to the firm chest of his Match.

"Sorry, you stop suddenly," Harry's words were a slightly jumbled mess as the ache in his heart thundered for him to kiss Draco.

"I, I do that," Draco muttered and then threw his arms around Harry and kissed him fiercely. They fell back onto the slopping steps, though neither noticed as they were too caught in the kiss.

The stairwell warmed considerably. Draco's eyes fluttered as Harry's hands slid up under his shirt and slid to his back. Somewhere above them a door opened and closed. Neither boy registered the noise, mostly because Draco had found Harry's earlobe and was doing something to it that made Harry squirm.

"Ah, sick!" Pansy was standing on the stair above them.

Draco snapped his head up and gave Pansy an angry look.

"There's a party tomorrow, you can P D A it up then, get off each other and clear the way," Pansy commanded. Harry reluctantly got up and followed his Match the rest of the way down.

In the Slytherin common room they saw Blaise and Ron on top of the far couch, half naked and snogging the day lights out of each other.

Pansy let out a scream of frustration, in a joking manner though. The two lovers fell of the couch and their heads appeared simultaneously from behind the low table.

"What?"

"Why is it that everywhere I go there's a pair of guys snogging?"

"I don't know, Pans, maybe you should stop going to places where guys make out," Blaise offered, smirking.

"Bastard," Pansy threw a nearby magazine at him.

"Ouch! Hey, someone's on angry pills again," Blaise rubbed the spot on his head. Until Ron took over and pulled him down again.

The next day was a leisurely one for the Gryffindor group attending the party that night. Harry and Ron were going with their boys. Seamus and Dean were invited by way of Nott and Ginny had been invited by Pansy who personally delivered the invitation to the red head the week before just after the collapse. Harry toyed briefly with the idea of Ginny and the black haired girl, Pansy was known to love her own sex as much as the other. He discussed it with Ron who agreed it was possible but, since it was his sister, he didn't really want to dwell for too long on it.

They each took a set of their robes and…rebelled them out.

Harry and the gang went to the RoR and found everything they'd need.

Ginny had gotten suggestions from Lavender and Parvati, obviously. Her skirt got shorter her outer robe turned into a short, tight jacket and the knee socks became fishnets. Harry was impressed with her outfit, though Ron disapproved he didn't voice it, he wasn't much better himself.

Ron, normally not a show off type, was becoming more like Blaise. He'd didn't have a shirt or tie and the robe became sleeveless with a popped collar. Ron, with the help of Harry transfigured his regular shoes into motorcycle boots that cinched at the knee. He managed to convince Seamus to loan him some eyeliner as well.

Seamus who, in all his Irish glory, was going to the party in leather pants and his uniform shirt now covered in tears held closed by safety pins. His tie was not his belt, though the pants were so tight they couldn't have fallen down with all the gravity of earth focused directly on him.

Dean, his date, was convinced to wear a pair of army pants with bondage straps and a camo tank top over a long sleeved white fishnet shirt. Dean looked almost more uncomfortable than Harry felt.

The Golden Boy wasn't one for dancing, much less one for fashion. Thank god for Ginny. She helped him. First, the pants were torn in about eleven different places and they used oddly colored strings to sew them partially shut again. His robe was set aside, he wouldn't wear it. The cuffs of his shirt were removed to be worn as bracelets and the sleeves of the shirt ripped off. The collar turned up and a set of patches were ironed onto the top. The patches ranged from ones with demon monkies to band names like the Damned and the Vibrators. Ginny was digging through a drawer and found a heavy chain, which she promptly attached to Harry's hip. It hung down to his knee and then curved back up and was attached to another belt loop.

Overall they looked like a group of punks.

So when they arrived at a statue of a soldier raising his sword heaven-ward they were surprised to see a fat, sneering goblin like creature standing by the statue. It looked much like the door knocker on the secret entrance.

"Names?" It looked at them through one eye, the other was simply a plain black orb.

"Harry Potter," he said. The black eye looked at him and the thing nodded.

The process repeated and the creature pushed the left big toe of the statue and the hero moved from his pedestal and let them though. The stair way was very narrow, steep and dark. They could smell smoke and alcohol from all the way at the top.

They reached the Greol.

The whole place was a mosh pit. People were jumping and screaming and throwing themselves around to a Dead Kennedys song. A bar was dispensing drinks and drags like crazy but the bar top was monopolized by Draco and Blaise. There was barely room for the five nine Italian to stand on the bar top as he danced.

Harry felt an ache in his chest at the sight of his Match.

Dressed in leather stiletto boots, olive colored pants with heavy chains hanging over either hip and a black tank top under a white fishnet shirt, Draco sparkled with energy. He raised his arms over his head and slammed his fists against the stone ceiling. Harry went through the crowd, dodging elbows, legs and persons in general until he reached the bar. The song changed to a heavy song and Draco looked down and saw the Gryffindor standing at the bar just below him. Draco smirked and began to move like a snake. His hips swiveled and he arched his back and curled it in a steady motion that he noticed made Harry near drool.

This was true, seeing his Match, standing up there with his wings and in fishnet was an impressive aphrodisiac. It only took that song until Harry pulled him onto the floor and move with him through the heavy crowd until they were in the middle. He kissed the blonde and the music multiplied in strength, the beats thundered through their chests, replacing the ache. Harry and Draco spent the entire night like that. Kissing under the smoke clouds and dancing.

**This is shorter than most of the recent chapters however, I'll probably post again as soon as I get back on Tuesday from Ashland (again). Thanks for reviewing everyone, I know it's been confusing with the changes to the earlier chapters. I'm not making plot altering changes, don't worry. Just combining shorter chapters and making Draco a more consistent character. Sorry again about confusion.**

**I adore you all. :love love love:**

**Please review? I'll give you a nice long love scene next time I post as a hazah to the one year anniversary of Dancing in the Dark. Wish the fic Happy Birthday on the 31st, plase and thank-you.**


	28. JADE THE VAMPIRE! and Hot Yoga

_This was true, seeing his Match, standing up there with his wings and in fishnet was an impressive aphrodisiac. It only took that song until Harry pulled him onto the floor and move with him through the heavy crowd until they were in the middle. He kissed the blonde and the music multiplied in strength, the beats thundered through their chests, replacing the ache. Harry and Draco spent the entire night like that. Kissing under the smoke clouds and dancing.

* * *

_

With a dreamy sigh Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and pulled him back down for a long kiss. Their chests were flush against one another and the crackle of magic ran through their veins. There was a sense of contentment in the blonde, the wretched voice he'd heard since that summer was silent for now. He was clean. In a figurative sense. Literally he was a little sweaty and the remains of a union were present. He didn't mind at all. He had Harry and he had just had a huge party and he was perfectly content to spend the rest of his life in that very spot with Harry's arms around him.

The Boy Wonder watched the silver eyes of his Match. The room was gorgeous, Draco's personal suite, and the white haired boy beneath him was even more gorgeous. Harry relaxed on curled his arms around the blonde, feeling the white feathers of his wings. Draco, with a cute smile, rolled over so he was half on top of Harry. Grinning back, the Boy-Who-Lived touched their foreheads together and fell asleep.

Draco lay awake for a moment, watching his Match and now lover, fall asleep. His dark lashes covered bright green eyes and sparkled when he looked at Draco. Feeling for the moment like nothing bad could happen Draco fell asleep as well. His wings lay stretched out on the bed behind him, a silver tint accumulating on the tips of each feather.

Nothing bad could ever happen in Harry's arms.

* * *

Blaise, a work-out enthusiast, decided to go with Hot Yoga for the detox the day after. He decided this while lying in bed with Ron. The red-head was snoring drunkenly and loudly next to him, a trait Blaise found rather adorable. Zabini looked sideways at the boy he'd never thought would go for him.

Blaise knew he had a reputation for being easy. He knew that very well. But he didn't consider it true. To be honest he hadn't slept with anyone for a month before Ron. He'd had a few other partners but none really meant anything to him. Not since Payton.

Payton Reskule.

The first boy Blaise had ever loved. He was the first boyfriend, first kiss, first date, first Valentine. Payton was two years older than Blaise, graduated now. A fair haired, dark skinned guy with a slight Russian accent and a pair of impressive blue eyes; he was everything Blaise wanted. They dated for more than a year. Until Payton decided to be a guy and date as many people as possible before graduating.

Jerk.

Blaise had taken to calling him that. Ron wasn't a jerk. Not at all. He may have been a little clueless but mightily thoughtful when he tried. Blaise was rather proud of his boyfriend, they weren't a Match or anything, but he was proud he got him. Granger had her chance. She mucked it up. Blaise didn't consider it sinking his claws into the Gryffindor, not really. Ron rolled over and one of his arms flung out and landed and Blaise. Ron recognized the feeling of the skin, even in his sleep and began groping for the other boy to come closer.

With a slightly embarrassed smile Blaise moved under the protective arm of Ron Weasely. He saw Ron smile contently and tighten his hold. He felt quite safe. Normally Blaise wasn't submissive at all, but with Ron, it was a little different. Ron was genuine. He'd got flowers for Blaise the morning prior and taken him for coffee and scones in the kitchen. They were the first flowers Blaise was given by a boyfriend. Payton had considered them too girly.

Very proud.

Very safe.

* * *

A long moment passed. Srene was looking out the window, moonlight surrounding him. Adrian wasn't much of one for feelings or deeply emotional conversations however this seemed a time to be having one. Adrian was sitting on a couch with _Unicorn Mating Rituals, How to tell your Mare is being Courted._ He watched the vampire's bright green eyes scan the dark school grounds.

"Kristopher?" Adrian asked, he set the book aside.

"Hmm?" Srene turned to him.

"What's going on?" Adrian patted the seat next to him.

"Nothing, there's still dead magic around is all," he brushed it off.

Adrian gave him a critical look, "are you sure?"

"Perfectly."

Damn lie that was. Kristopher Srene, a hundred year old vampire was lying to the first person who hadn't run away when they found out what he was. For a century he'd been searching for someone to help him forget the curse of being undead. He'd found him and now he was lying to him.

Adrian knew he was lying, he'd grown up seeing lies in their best forms. His Dragon Rider Mother, Stone Singer, taught him to see a lie. The deep knowledge she possessed was passed to him.

"What is it really?"

Kristopher was a little surprised that Adrian could see through the lie.

What was it really?

He was expecting a visitor. Someone he hadn't seen in twenty years or more. His blood brother, another child of Stanton Belle, was arriving that night from Finland. This brother was a troubled youth, he was eighteen when he was changed and he resented it deeply. He still tried very hard to be like a human would be, have relationships and laugh and drink and ride a motorbike. With a slightly nervous glance back through the window, Srene went to the couch beside his lover.

Adrian rested his head on the vampire's shoulder and looked up at him, "tell me."

So he did. He told him there was another Belle vampire coming that night. He was staying to help Srene with some training for the sixth and seventh years.

"I'll be glad to meet him," Adrian said, "is that all?"

Srene nodded, "I don't expect most people are comfortable around vampires. I don't know why you are."

Adrian grinned at him, "I've ridden a dragon through a lightning storm, so vampires are a piece of strudel thus compared."

Srene gave a weak laugh and then sense the other vampire on the grounds, "he's here."

"Wait, woah," Adrian halted his exit, "what's his name?"

"Call him Jade," Srene said and he left the room with a shocked Adrian staggering after him.

"Jade!"

"Yes, why?" Srene looked at him over his shoulder as they went through the castle.

"Jade!"

Srene stopped for a second and gave Adrian a very weird look, "yes. Why?"

"He broke Severus' heart," Adrian said in a loud whisper as though it were a deep scandal, which kind of it was.

Srene's eyes widened.

"He what?"

"He dated Snape for two years," Adrian held up two fingers, "then 'killed' himself by driving off a bride."

Srene's jaw dropped just a little, "that was Snape he did that too?"

"Yes!" Adrian ran a hand through his long red hair and glanced around frantically.

Srene glowered, trying to think, "we'll work this out later. Just, come on."

* * *

Severus Snape was sitting in his office reading an old potions text and trying to decide if the NEWT class for next year would benefit from reading it. He annotated something important and then blindly reached for his mug of decaffeinated coffee. Finding it where he'd blindly set it a moment ago he picked it up and brought it back to him for a sip.

He marked something else and then glanced up at the old clock. 3.21 AM. Sighing he stood to make the final round of the halls of the castle. Just to make sure again that no one was canoodling in the Astronomy Tower or Room of Requirement. He knew there had been a party in the Greol, Draco, Blaise and Pansy's doing of course. The goblin called Ello was a shrewd, hideous thing and he'd seen it hiding behind the leg of the statue as he passed. Snape had ignored the party and the students walking drunkenly in all directions an hour ago as the party ended.

"Come on old boy," Snape dragged himself up again and left his study, locking the door behind him. He heard someone scream "Jade!" and the word echoed deep within his chest. He felt scared for a second, frozen where he stood at the door.

The black haired man nearly ran down the corridor to where the noise had come from.

Adrian and Kristopher opened the main doors and a tall young man was standing there with a heavy cloak on and the hood pulled up over his face. Beneath it, in the heavy shadow, two sparkling green eyes with a blue hint shone dangerously. He tilted his head up and let a sliver of light hit his chin and mouth.

"Brother," he greeted the other vampire carefully. He stood just outside the door, waiting patiently to be invited in. His teeth were longer than Kristopher's, a sign of status in their "family" of vampires. Jade had fair skin, it had been so in life, as a half Finnish half Greek man he'd adopted the dark hair of one and the paleness of the other. This became obvious when he lowered the hood and his dark brown hair came into view. His face was fair, young, and held a single scar down one cheek. It was a brilliant scar, closed back over in almost black colored skin.

"Brother," Srene acknowledged him, "come in, please." Srene stepped aside and the other vampire took a step over the threshold.

"Hello," Adrian held out a hand, "I'm Professor Adrian Weasely, I teach Care of Magical Creatures."

Jade smiled a little, "is that why I am here? To be a study subject?"

Srene shook his head, "no, you're going to help me with hand to hand combat."

Jade nodded and his hearing picked up footsteps approaching, he threw his hood back over his face and shrank into the shadows against the door.

Adrian and Kristopher turned and saw Snape walk from the darkness, looking between them. Immediately the red head got nervous, which rarely happened, and he glanced at the shadowy figure.

"I heard someone yell," he said, looking between the three again.

Adrian heard a barely audible gasp from Jade. "I-" he tried to speak but stopped himself.

"Who's there?" Snape raised his lit wand higher. This cast a shadow on his face and in the odd light he looked different.

Normally the professor was gaunt and strained in appearance, from constantly being at the Dark Lord's side and keeping his mental shields up and teaching. In this moment he looked more alive, some of his features were shadowed, making him something to look twice at. He wasn't unattractive in any way, angry most times, but never ugly.

"He's my blood brother," Srene said, he didn't want to lie to Snape, but it was an impressively delicate situation.

Snape leaned in a little, so slight was this movement that any other time it would have gone unnoticed.

Jade regained himself and stepped into the light again and drew back his head, "I'm Talon Sampson, you knew me as Jade?" he didn't know if the other man remembered him.

Snape shook his head slowly and just looked at the vampire, preserved as an eighteen year old for twenty years, probably a lot longer than that.

"I- I didn't tell you…then," Jade took a quick step forward and reached out as if to take hold of Severus if he ran, "because I thought you would turn me into the Ministry with their hunt of our kind."

"You thought I would do that to you?" Snape asked in disbelief.

"I…yes, I did. I didn't realize that you actually cared about me, as a being," Jade said, his wonderfully colored eyes sank to the ground. "I am sorry for hurting you the way I did."

Snape drew his mask about him and looked at the vampire darkly, "I'm sorry I let you."

Jade looked a little stunned at this but then resigned himself to being hated, "I understand, I'll only be here a week or two so you won't have to put up with me too much."

Snape just snarled at him and disappeared back into the darkness.

"I'm so sorry," Jade whispered in an old vampiric language called Metore so his words sounded more like, "Eshk neite kesken." He knew Snape had heard him from the tiny hitch in his breath as he walked away. As a vampire Jade could hear him and smell him even from that distance. He still smelt like a cinnamon sprinkled old book. Slightly dusty, a little ashy and very secure and knowing.

Jade sorely missed that smell and it filled his lungs and his heart again as it had twenty some years ago.

Draco felt someone hit the ticklish spot on his left side. He jumped up and shrieked which he immediately regretted. His hangover was incredible. A headache that felt ready to burst his skull and bleed all over his hair, slight nausea, soreness from the dancing and what it must feel like to have troll breath all hit him at once. He fell back onto the pillows and cracked one eye to see Blaise leaning over him with a maniacal grin, a Hangover Potion in one hand and a yoga mat in the other.

"Morning darling, get up," he offered the potion, "I've chosen Hot Yoga for our detox in an hour."

Draco gave him a critical look through his headache, "isn't that what the potion is for?"

"That's to keep you from getting sick all over the nice bamboo floors I've got set up in Dungeon 295."

Draco drank the potion and threw the empty bottle at Blaise, it missed by far and landed on the floor, shattered and disappeared. "You are the worst best friend ever," Draco stood up from the bed and walked past Blaise.

"I'll have you know I'm doing this so you don't turn into an alchy guy with bags under his eyes and vomit-breath. Detoxing is good for your system. I've got Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, Harry and the other Weasely girl coming too so don't you dare hold us up."

"At least it isn't another four mile run," Draco searched his drawers for his spandex shorts worn under Quidditch pants.

"Which I still enjoyed and I would appreciate company this evening when I go for one," Blaise said honestly.

"I could fly with you," Draco offered, thinking it was time he learnt to fly properly.

"That would be fine, just so we can talk about," Blaise paused thinking of the right words, "girl stuff."

Draco rolled his eyes, "we don't have girl stuff Blaisey." Blaise piphed at this and eyed the wife beater Draco pulled on, "is that mine?"

"Yes, I stole it a year ago, why?"

"Just making sure," Blaise said.

Harry came out of the bathroom ruffling his hair with a towel, he looked at the two and realized he was stark naked. Blaise just shrugged but Draco was eyeing him hungrily.

"Eh, so, yoga?" Harry wrapped the towel around his waist.

"Yes, in an hour so get dressed. Dungeon 295 Draco, remember that," Blaise left.

"Got it," Draco called after him, "you were naked," he whirled around and grinned devilishly at Harry.

"I guess I was," Harry nodded and looked around, thinking of where to find yoga clothes.

"You're cute naked," Draco said.

"Thank-you, what should I wear?"

Draco pouted a little at the change of subject but got another pair of shorts out and gave them over. Harry pulled them on and adjusted the seams of them, then satisfied looked back at Draco.

Tan pecks that slopped into a flat stomach touched with a hickey or two from the night before. Hip bones showed and let the eye trail down below the waist band of the spandex shorts that hugged his muscular thighs. Draco was looking him over, remembering distinctly liking the taste of his skin. Harry's broad shoulders and attractive collar bone swept up into an elegant neck that also had a mark or five from the vicious little blonde.

"Mine," Draco remembered saying as he left a particularly impressive mark over Harry's pulse.

"What?" Harry squirmed under the eye of his Match.

"You're just very pretty is all," Draco said and jumped the four or five feet between them and wrapped his legs around Harry's waist and ravaged his mouth. Harry staggered backward but instinctively wrapped his arms around the blonde and pulled him securely against his chest.

After who knows how long the door burst open and Blaise stepped in, glaring swords at the pair. "You two ungrateful bastards are going to be late for Hot Yoga and I will personally spay you both unless you stop snogging and come detox."

The two detached quickly and rushed to comply with the fierce Italian.

**I understand that a lot of people can't review because multiple reviews for the same chapter can't be given. This is via the combining of earlier chapters. I'm really sorry about all this confusion and such forth and…yeah, never mind. **

**If you feel strongly about reviewing or just want to make me a non sad author email me at mcwfall (at) aol . com. Take out the spaces is all. **

**Thanks so much for reading, I adore you all. **

**Happy One Year Birthday to _Dancing in the Dark_. It turned one on the 31. Hoorah. :distributes kisses and birthday cupcakes: Have fun this summer!**


	29. Thunder Bearer and Stone Singer

"Willow," Blaise assumed the position and the group behind him struggle to do so as well. Pansy was still significantly buzzed from the night prior. Crabbe and Goyle were dead on their feet, or backs at some points in the detox session.

The room was set to be a hundred and five degrees and every occupant was sweating like no one's business. Draco hated sweating, hated the feeling, the smell, the work involved to make him sweat, all of it. But he was detoxing because he didn't want to get spayed.

"Leaping Antelope," Blaise changed seamlessly into another contortionist pose. Harry wondered how a person could do this and attempted it with his own body, only managing to stretch his muscles further than they were willing to go.

Ron was doing fairly well as were Draco and Ginny. The three at the back weren't doing as well. Pansy stumbled slightly and knocked into Goyle who'd fallen asleep standing and fell to the floor. He didn't wake up when he hit the ground, just snorted and continued sleeping.

Blaise spun on his foot, while keeping the other raised high and bent as though he would go leaping through the air at any second. He glared at them and then dropped the pose.

"Do you want to get the booze out of your system or not?" he asked.

Ginny dropped the pose as well, "of course they do, but they're not sober enough to do anything about it."

"That's what happens when you try and detox at ten AM," Draco said, changing the foot he was holding the pose on.

"Come on," Ron gave up trying to maintain the position, "we've been doing this for an hour and a half, it's almost lunch. Let's shower and change and eat something."

"You can go," Blaise waved them off, "I've got to finish my routine."

"Blaise," Draco said, "two hours of yoga and a four mile run is a lot of working out for one day."

"It's a Sunday," Blaise said, "I don't normally have so much free time, use it or loose it," he said and took up another pose.

Most of them left, Crabbe and Goyle fell asleep again in the hallway and Ginny was forced to lead Pansy back to the Slytherin Common Room so she wouldn't get lost.

"Come on, we can use the Prefect bathroom," Ron said.

They went in and the huge bath sat patiently waiting to be filled. Ron glanced at his best friend and Draco, "I'm going to shower, you two can…bathe."

"Thanks Ron," Draco gave him a lazy salute.

After cleaning themselves up they parted ways. Draco went to Dungeon 295 to check up on his best friend while the Gryffindors returned to their tower to change.

Blaise was meditating in the middle of the room, his dark hair stuck against his neck and forehead.

"Blaise-ums, you want me to have your favorite lunch ready when you come to the Hall?" Draco asked, poking his head inside the heated dungeon.

Blaise opened an eye and looked at the blonde, "sounds delicious, I'll be out in a minute," he closed his eye again.

"Okay," Draco closed the door and prodded the two larger boys with his foot. "Get up, there's lunch in the Hall."

Greg stood up and helped Vincent stand as well. Greg rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes and looked up and down the hall before walking with Draco and Vincent to the Slytherin dorms. Draco said the pass word (Jinxed) and helped them down to the sixth year's rooms.

"Change up and I'll see you in the hall," Draco made sure they were safely awake before going to his own room.

After changing he returned to the other boys to find Greg and Vincent engaging in what seemed to be a game of bloody knuckles. Theodore Nott, a quiet, relaxed boy with tawny hair was reading a Herbology book on his bed and sipping some tea mixed with a hangover potion. He looked up at Draco and nodded a greeting.

"Come on, lunch time, round of the lower years and herd them off," Draco clapped his hands a few times and the boys abandoned their pursuits to do as they were told.

Draco went to the girls side and called down the hall way that is was meal time. Girls poured from their rooms, some more inebriated than others. Pansy came out looking far more alive with a rumpled looking Ginny Weasely on her heels.

"What did you do to her?" Draco asked her in French.

"Blaise took a shining to a Weasely, so can I," Pansy said in her own defense.

"Are you two talking about me?" Ginny asked, having heard her last name.

"Of course we are," Draco nodded. Ginerva was a sweet girl who he didn't really have any problems with.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Nothing bad," Pansy assured her with a smile, "Draco just asked what I did to you."

Ginny blushed red and averted her eyes to the carpet.

"She likes you," Draco said and then rushed off to escape the black haired girl.

"You like me?" Ginny asked.

"Am I allowed to?" Pansy wasn't one for being shy, but at this moment she was quite nervous.

"Yeah," Ginny nodded, "I like you too."

Pansy broke into an honest grin and took the younger girl's hand and they walked out through the Common Room. They saw the main door open and Snape was standing there looking angrier than normal.

"Where are the prefects?" he scanned the crowd. A white head jumped up in strain to be seen behind to tall seventh years.

Pansy and Ginny went up through the crowd the Head of House and awaited Draco's fight through the masses.

When he arrived he looked at his godfather expectantly.

"Yes sir?"

"There was a party last night?" he looked at them.

"Yes, at the Greol," Draco confirmed.

"Are your tracks covered?"

"It's clear. Ello is back in the door, ventilation cleared the smoke, halls are clean of any…sickness, bottles were disposed of safely and hangover potions were distributed courtesy of Dr. Ricky," Draco said with confidence. Dr. Ricky was a seventh year, his real name was just Ricky, who had a talent for hangover potions and had a lab set up in Dungeon 576.

"Good," Snape gave a nod and then addressed the rest of the house, "classes will resume tomorrow as usual. Everyone is expected to handle the double load of homework well. This is of course to make up for the time we lost due to student death."

The house groaned but consented to the work. "Way to die Malfoy," someone jokingly yelled from the crowd and everyone chuckled.

Malfoy smirked at them, "being dead is way better than being a wanker," he called back and another laugh rose.

"Go to lunch," Snape moved aside and the house bled out into the dungeon hallway like a newly opened wound.

Snape managed to snatch Draco from the crowd as he passed. "What?"

"The media is still hovering at the gates of the castle."

"Oh," Draco nodded. Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow was a lesson on dragons as he'd found out from Adrian at some point. Adrian had Arakna'ah and his old leaders Thunder Bearer and Stone Singer coming from Ehtiopia to help with the lesson.

"Dumbledore forbade them from entering school grounds, however that doesn't keep them from the gates. You really must make a media appearance to send them off, you or Mr. Potter," Snape said.

"You think I'd be a good choice?" Draco looked at him like he was insane, "I have wings Uncle, _wings!_ That's not exactly normal."

"I do think you'd be better with the media than your Match," Snape said, "You've handled it before."

"We'll both go, later today," Draco compromised, "how should we explain my extra appendages?"

"Transfiguration accident?" Snape suggested.

"Sounds plausible, we should talk to Head Master about this," Draco said, "Harry and I will go up there after Lunch."

"He's in a meeting and it may last until then but you can try. Password is Icicle Cookies."

"Thanks, you coming to Lunch?"

"I've eaten," Snape shook his head and went off in the direction of the deeper dungeons.

Draco shrugged and trailed the rest of the snakes to the Great Hall.

:**In Dumbledore's Office:**

"Professor, he's my blood brother. Not allowing Jade to stay in the castle is a direct insult to him and to me. Why do you refuse him lodging?"

"I don't know him, you trained as an Auror. Has he? You saved lives in countless places. Has he? How am I to know he isn't simply a vampire with a blood lust?"

Kristopher glared at the older man, "Jade isn't just a vampire with a blood lust. He's a strong warrior who fought along side me at the Full Moon Battle during the Anti-Vampire Movements. He's trustworthy and his presence will be beneficial to the students. Jade isn't here to get a free drink or two, he's here to help."

"Mr. Sampson may stay in the castle. In the East Hall on the fourth floor, he'll be comfortable there." Dumbledore relented.

"Thank-you," Srene was rather proud of his victory.

"I do ask, however, that Mr. Sampson be your responsibility during his time here, any damage he does will fall on your head." Dumbledore added.

Rather peeved Srene agreed to this.

"Your assumptions are rather offensive Professor," Talon or Jade spoke from where he stood in the shadows, his heavy cloak covering him from the sunlight coming through the window. As a younger vampire, only about eighty years old, he was still sensitive to sunlight.

"I only wish to protect my students Mr. Sampson," the old man said.

Jade snarled at him but said nothing else.

"Adrian is coming?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, his leaders will be here later today and he wishes to speak with you about the duration of their stay."

"What are their names?" Dumbledore asked.

"Thunder Bearer and Stone Singer I believe," Srene said, "if there is nothing else you wish to insult us with, we will leave."

Dumbledore nodded and let them go.

"He is a respectable man," Jade said sarcastically after they'd left.

"If anyone I would have thought he would be accepting of us," Srene added.

"Aye, we are no worse than werewolves or Veela, but he welcomes them with open arms," Jade sounded terribly disgusted.

"He probably hasn't gotten past our connection yet. It is a heavy dose of terror to have blood brothers in one place," Srene allowed this.

A single vampire was one thing, scary but not horrible. Two was different, far more intimidating, but if they were of different clans the possibility of them joining together was low. Two of the same clan was a deeply terrifying thing to those who understood clan bonds. They were strong, the same power that kept you alive ran through the other vampire and connected you like twins, or closer even. The possibility of the two attacking was higher, offenses were taken more seriously when two vampires were involved.

"I suppose," Jade recognized the foundations of the old mans fears.

"Come, we'll eat," Srene and Jade entered the Great Hall.

In the hall Adrian was watching for them so he knew he could speak with the Head Master about the other Dragon Riders set to arrive. He got his cue and immediately left, smiling at the older vampire when he passed them.

"Icicle Cookies," and he ascended the stair case behind the gargoyle.

"Hello Professor Weasely, I expected to see you," Dumbledore motioned to the seat.

"Yes, I wanted to speak with you about the arrangements for my leader's arrival."

"Of course, of course, how long will they be with us?"

"They and Arakna'ah will be staying for three weeks. Stone Singer, my adopted mother, and Thunder Bearer, the leader of the cult I lived with in Ethiopia are riding up and should arrive by supper today. Arakna'ah, the dragon they're bringing, is a three-hundred-year-old Ivory Scale matriarch. They also, I believe, are bringing her youngest descendent, Krikta, a twelve-year-old male."

"Two dragons?"

"You had three wild ones here two years ago for the Triwizard tournament." Adrian pointed out.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "yes, of course. Please, introduce them to the school when they arrive, if it is indeed prior to dinner tonight."

"Yes," Adrian nodded.

Draco brought Harry with him to address their Head Master about the media.

"Hello Professor."

"Hello boys, how may I help you?"

"We're going to address the media," Dumbledore immediately looked worried, "not about us being a Match, but to send them away. They're here because we've been missing since the accident, right? So we're the only ones who can get them to leave."

"I suppose. What about your wings?"

"Severus and I thought that maybe a Transfiguration accident would be a plausible excuse. I thought maybe we could explain that we've been gone for a week recovering after the collapse because we were fighting near there when it happened. The wings were caused by combinations of spells that haven't worn off yet."

Dumbledore thought it over, "what if they ask about why you were fighting?"

Draco considered this and then spoke again, "I was patrolling the hall, as a Prefect, and Harry was going on a snack run for the Gryffindors when he was caught. However, I didn't follow procedure and a fight ensued. So we're both to blame."

"Is it possible they will assume the collapse was caused by you?"

"I doubt they'll think a couple of sixth years collapsed the Astronomy Tower. If they ask us if we think it's a possibility we can answer that we can't be sure, no trace of our magic was found in the ruins."

"But it was," Dumbledore said.

"Dead magic was found which isn't traceable. It's possible that the tower has been decaying for decades and it was simply a case of wrong place at the wrong time."

"You have media training Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore was impressed with the blonde.

"I am a pureblood sir," he reminded the older man.

"Of course. When do you wish to address the journalists camped at the gates?"

"We can go out in a few minutes."

Harry agreed with a nod and Dumbledore gave them the signal to leave.

"MR. POTTER! HARRY! JUST A FEW QUESTIONS!"

"DRACO! DRACO MALFOY! OVER HERE!"

Things exploded as the two boys neared. They had Quick-Quills, Record-o-parchment and Harry was certain every one of them had a photographer attached to their hip. Flashes went off as they got within good picture range. Draco had assembled Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise and even Pansy to pose as his guards on the way to the reporters. Harry had asked Ron and Ginny to go down with him. The two groups shot faux-glares at each other and walked with some distance between them.

Draco looked to one reporter and they went silent to take down the question and answer.

"Harold Nint from the Scottish Wizarding Herald. What happened to the Astronomy Tower and how were you two involved?"

"The tower," Draco said with a Malfoy sneer, "collapsed, we can't be sure why it did so. Harry Potter and I met in the hallway at the bass of the tower while I was on patrol. He, I believe, was on a snack run for the rest of the Gryffindors."

"We got into a bit of a fight and the tower collapsed while we were fighting," Harry said, he glanced sideways at the Malfoy heir.

"OVER HERE!" the shouts rose again not a second after Harry finished.

"Lisa June from Wizard Quarterly. Where have you two been since the collapse?"

"We were recovering in the hospital wing from our injuries, sustained during both the collapse and our fight," Draco answered.

"Reagan Reshflume from the Public Investigator. Why do you have wings, Mr. Malfoy?"

"They are the result of combinations of spells and the dead magic emitted when the tower collapsed. We haven't figured out how to remove them yet."

"Yvonne Erille from the Swiss Tribune. Can you tell us anything about the collapse, what was it like?"

"It started with just some dust and shaking, we didn't notice because we were fighting, but then big pieces of rock started falling. I'm not sure exactly what happened but the whole tower fell, the dead magic knocked us unconscious for a while until we were dragged from the rubble by our teachers." Harry said.

"HARRY! Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. Do you think this may have been an act of the Dark Lord or his followers?"

"There's no evidence to point to that conclusion. I think that the tower may have been deteriorating for years but at such a slow rate it wasn't noticeable until it was too late and it fell." Harry said.

"HERE! Frida Cowle, Witch Weekly. Will you be pressing charges against the school for your injuries?"

"No. To do so would be wrong, there's no way they could have predicted the collapse and we shouldn't have been there so late at night." Draco answered.

"Are you two still enemies or are you closer because of this harrowing experience?" Frida asked.

"Mr. Malfoy and I are still separated on many issues. We aren't allies, however we understand the seriousness of current times and we're willing to forgive each others pasts and continue on without fighting."

"Does that mean you've switched sides Mr. Malfoy?" Rita called.

"I've associated myself with neither the Dark nor the Light side of this war due to the dangers involved in participating on either side."

"Was the collapse just a distraction to give Death Eaters a way to get into the castle?" Harold called.

"In no way was this collapse a distraction of any sort. I am not a Death Eater nor am I assisting them in getting into the castle. It was simply an old structure falling apart. I do regret being nearby when it occurred, however, being accused of using it to get evil persons inside the castle is horribly offensive and I'd rather appreciate if you apologized for such a rude question." Draco glared at the pudgy man.

"HARRY! Albus Dumbledore refused to speak to us about the collapse or your absence from classes, do you know why that is?" Rita asked.

"I don't, Head Master must have had his reasons for refusing interviews."

"DRACO! Is it true you-" the man fell silent as Severus Snape began towards them from the castle.

"We've answered all your questions on the subject, there's nothing more to discuss," Draco said and he turned away from them to glare at Harry. He glared back and the two groups left heading in slightly different directions so the area between them grew.

Harry felt the ache grow with the distance. The media was packing up behind them, he could hear them collapsing their tents and asking their photographers how many shots they got.

Harry was sitting with Adrian and Hagrid and Frenz outside of Hagrid's hut later that day waiting for the Dragon Riders to come.

It was a long wait but they told stories to pass the time.

Eventually they spotted a huge white dragon aiming down to the ground. The heavy collar and chain around her neck drew the eye up to the large man standing between her shoulder blades. Arakna'ah landed and her thick claws dug deep into the ground. A much smaller male dragon, one that could fit beneath one of her wings landed as well. Krikta was a man or two high at the shoulders and had a set of spikes on the tip of his tail.

The man atop Arakna'ah swung down. He patted the dragon's head as she lowered it. He was a very tall man, Hagrid's height at least, and he was very thick in the shoulders and his body seemed covered in a heavy layer of muscle. His hair was long and gave him a wild appearance. He turned to small group and spotted his adopted son Flaming Skull. Krikta lowered his head and a woman jumped down to land in a crouch. She stood and was only a few inches shorter than the man. She was a broad built woman, Amazon like really. Her dragon hide skirt, boots and top only added to the warrior appearance of her. She had dark hair like the man, it was longer though and braided.

"Stone Singer, Thunder Bearer," Adrian was rushing towards them. He had on dragon hide pants similar to Thunder Bearer's and boots as well.

"Son," the woman hugged him, lifting him up off the ground and she kissed his temple.

"Skull," Thunder nodded to him in a more masculine greeting.

Stone said something in a different language and he relented to hugging the boy. Adrian was a tall man by most standards, but he barely even reached Thunder's chest.

"I'm glad you agreed to come," Adrian said, obviously happy.

"We're glad to see you as well. A centaur?" Thunder had immediately noticed Frenz.

"Hello there," he approached to two Dragon Riders and held out his hand.

"Of what clan?" Stone asked. Her voice was sweet and deceptive perhaps.

"Forest," he motioned back to the Forbidden Forest. The two nodded knowingly.

"Ancient clan, we helped some, led by Heten, cross the great Tuchkat River some years back," Thunder said in his heavy baritone voice.

"This, is Harry, Calm Storm's Match," Adrian motioned Harry over. He came and looked up into the black eyes of Thunder.

"Calm Storm's Match?" Stone repeated, slightly confused.

"Like a mate, but stronger and for life," Adrian clarified.

"Calm Storm's mate must have a proper name then," Thunder said, his voice vibrated through the air.

"Tell us something of yourself," Stone requested.

"I play Quidditch and-"

"He fights evil and-" Adrian interrupted.

"And I like Defense Against the Dark Arts class," he interrupted back.

Stone considered for a moment then looked directly into his eyes. Thunder watched his wife study the boy.

"Dragon Heart," she proclaimed and Harry felt some sort of magic, almost like what he felt when kissing Draco, run through him.

**Hey, thanks for supporting the story. I hope you like this chapter, it's kind of long (which is exciting). Please please review. If you can't review for some reason (because the site won't let you) I'd still really appreciate feedback by email. mcwfall (at) aol. com. If you have anything to say I'd love to hear it. **

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**FireStorm00X**


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